Always and Forever
by AmethystDragon14
Summary: Part 3 of my No Matter Where We Are Trilogy. After the drama at the Gala Mal and Ben are hoping they can finally settle into their lives. But there is one more threat they will have to face and this time they may find it's closer to home then they think.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys. Welcome back for the third story in my No Matter Where We Are trilogy. It was asked for so I wrote it. This is my thinking of what Descendants 3 might be like (EEEEEEEEk so excited for it to come out in 2019!) I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as you did its predecessors. Without further ado take it away chapter 1.** **Old readers you will note that this story has been revamped and edited. THANK YOU SO MUCH to my Beta xez2003 for helping me with that.**

 **DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DECENDANTS ALL RIGHTS GO TO DISNEY ANY DIOLOGE YOU RECONISE BELONGS TO DISNEY I OWN NOTHING! I also DO NOT own ANY songs used in these chapters all rights go to the RIGHTFUL OWNERS.**

The sun shone brightly over the grounds of Auradon Prep. Not a single cloud was visible in the perfect blue skies and a light morning breeze ruffled the leaves of the nearby trees. It has now been two months since the events of the Royal Gala where Ben and Mal have been knighted by Hailey. Two months since Uma had last been seen and the students slowly returned to their day to day activities hoping that she had just gone back to the Isle. But one person did not share that sentiment.

The peaceful atmosphere surrounding the school grounds was interrupted by the sound of someone releasing a sharp breath as if she was punching or swinging at something. Mal straightened herself out to her full length before going back in a fighting stance sword in hand. Ever since Hailey had given her the Dame title, she had made it a point to practice with her daggers and sword every day. She just couldn't shake the feeling that it was not over yet…..especially with Uma still out there.

Her practice was interrupted by a nearby sneer which made her turn around to face who had disturbed her.

"Playing the knight since you can't play the princess?"

"At least I _can_ play the knight Audrey. _You_ would cry if you broke a nail fighting." Mal snapped back, clearly irritated by the tone used by the princess. Ever since Audrey had returned from her vacation and heard that not only Ben and Mal had saved Auradon again but had also been knighted by Hailey, she had been going out of her way to pester the VKs. Ben had simply brushed it off as simple jealously but with every new incident Mal's patience was beginning to lessen and as a result her resolve to keep her cool around her.

Audrey scoffed "I'd rather be royalty. Not that you would know the difference anyway. You never were a princess."

At this Mal rolled her eyes and before she could say anything she would regret, she barged past Audrey, sheathing her sword in the process, and decided to head out to take a shower.

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Mal stared out at the lake's still and peaceful waters lost in thought. Usually, this enchanted place always stirred in her feelings of calm and serenity, especially since it was her and Ben's spot, their refuge when they wanted to hide away from the world and have a quiet moment to themselves.

But not today. As much as she tried not to let Audrey get to her, her words from their earlier conversation kept on playing in her head all day. To Mal, it did not really matter that she wasn't born a princess. But rather, Audrey's words painfully reminded her that she had been born on the Isle including all the hardships that came with it, especially having to hide her love for Ben from the world, too afraid of the consequences of them being discovered.

"You ok sweetheart?" Ben asked her, breaking her line of thought, as he tightened his arm around her.

"Yeah. I'm fine" she said softly from where her head was rested on his shoulder.

"Mal-" he replied gently and she let out a long sigh.

"Benny. Do you ever think about what it would have been like if we had been born here?" she asked softly not really looking at him. "I mean think about it. We wouldn't have had to hide our relationship, fearing for our lives. We would have been free to live our love in the open under the sun. We wouldn't have gotten all the looks we got when we got here…we would have just… been part of the crowd as royalty, living the happy life described in all of our school history books."

"Hey!" he turned round and tilted Mal's face up to look at him. "What did I tell you six months ago? If you were _supposed_ to be part of the crowd, you wouldn't have stood out from it in the first place. I love you just the way you are" he reassured her. He just always knew what to say to make her feel better, she thought wistfully. And just like that, Mal's negative thoughts were washed away as she looked into Ben's deep eyes so full of love towards her. She could only nod in response as she snuggled further into him, letting him embrace her in his strong arms.

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A few days after their talk, Mal started noticing a strange change in Ben's behaviour. Apart from the fact that she barely saw him anymore, unless they had a common class, when they did actually meet, she noticed that he looked extremely tired. She had also caught him falling asleep in one of the classes, which was starting to worry her.

"Benny. Are you ok?" She asked softly as he rested his head on her shoulder while they stopped in the hallway outside her locker after class.

"I'm fine sweetheart. Just a little tired" he murmured. "Anyway. I have to go." he kissed her quickly ready to bolt away.

"Go where?" Mal asked surprised as he walked away in a hurry.

"I have a meeting with Hailey." he replied, turning back and kissing her forehead before leaving.

Mal frowned slightly as she remembered that Ben had been having a lot of 'meetings with Hailey' lately. A strange feeling bubbled inside her as she came to the realization that she was jealous of Hailey.

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Ben walked along the corridor leading to Mal's dorm room with a proud smile on his face. He was excited, and admittedly slightly nervous, for the surprise he had planned for Mal that evening. He just couldn't believe he had managed to set up everything up in such a short period of time. He was literally exhausted from the sleepless nights as he got everything in motion but that did not matter to him. All that mattered to him was Mal, especially after their last conversation at the lake. After all they had been through on the Isle and the last few months since they arrived in Auradon, all he wanted was to see her happy.

"Hey sweetheart. Are you free tonight?" Ben asked her as he stood in the doorway of Mal's dorm.

As she saw his smiling face, Mal got up from her desk and walked up towards him. "Well…I was going to do some studying but I'm _always_ free for you."

Ben chuckled in response as he wrapped his arms around her. "Good because I happen to have a surprise for my girl. Evie will be here in a few hours to help you get ready." He told her cryptically with a mischievous smile on his face before giving her a quick kiss and walking away back down the hall.

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"So what has Ben got planned tonight?" Mal asked Evie a while later as she curled her now dark purple, blue tipped hair. She was wearing a gorgeous purple and blue dress which Evie had apparently been making in secret for her over the last few days. The dress was dark purple with blue swirl designs on the front and bottom of the puffy skirt.

"If I told you that, Ben would be very upset." Evie chuckled, as she finished curling and placed a blue stoned clip in Mal's hair, before starting on her makeup. "Ok. One last thing." she said softly as she got up and picked up a box, handing it to Mal.

Mal opened it and could only gasp in wonder as she saw a purple stained pair of glass slippers, with a rose design on the front lying on a bed of silk. "Evie-"

"Hailey had them custom made for you at Ben's request. They are to go with your dress." she explained as she took them out gently and placed them on the ground for her to step into. "He also said to give you this when you were ready to go." she continued, giving her a small blue bag and a note.

Mal opened the note:

 _Hey Sweetheart_

 _I suppose you're wondering what's going on…Well as I said I have a surprise for you. Along with this note, Evie should have given you a blue bag. In it is fairy dust. There will be a chair in the courtyard. Blow the dust on it and it will bring you to me._

 _See you soon my love._

 _Love Ben_

Mal could only grin as Evie led her out to the courtyard. She tipped the blue dust into her palm and blew it on the chair in front of her. In a swirl of blue smoke, the chair became a light blue coach with grey horses pulling it.

"Have a good time, M." Evie grinned as a footman helped Mal inside. The coach pulled away taking Mal to her surprise destination.

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Mal felt a wide smile spread across her face as she looked around the inside of the elaborate coach she was riding in. The dress, the shoes, this coach…what was Ben up to? Mal wondered…it was as if she was just living in one of the fairy tale stories she had studied about in their history lessons at school. And as she looked outside of the coach window, she could only feel a sense of excitement and anticipation build up inside of her at the prospect of finding out what this surprise was all about.

The coach finally stopped in front of Charming Castle where Mal found another note, together with a rose, waiting for her on the door. She opened the note to reveal another message from Ben:

 _Follow the roses._

 _I'm waiting for you._

Mal smiled as she sniffed the rose, opening the main door. Mal could only look around in wonder as she took in the scene in front of her. The corridor she had just stepped into was lit by a series of candles on either side of the wall. Not only that…the middle of it was lined with a row of red roses leading to another door. She collected them all until she was one away from an even dozen but most importantly she arrived at the next door, behind which she hoped Ben finally was behind.

She opened it slowly and a soft gasp escaped her throat. The room was dimly lit with a table of food to one side and a mini dance floor. Mal smiled in awe as she saw Ben standing in the middle of it, dressed in a smart blue suit holding one last rose. "Benny-"

"Surprise!" he said softly, awe clearly on his face as he took in Evie's makeover. Mal slowly made her way over to him blushing slightly. "You're one short." he grinned giving her the last rose.

A pleasant shiver gripped Mal she slowly took the rose from Ben's hand. All she could do was stare into his eyes as she instinctively leaned upwards, her lips brushing with his in a sweet kiss. He led her over to a table where there was an empty vase.

"Just when I think you can't look more beautiful, you go and prove me wrong." he whispered in her ear and Mal blushed harder in response.

A whirlwind of emotions went through her as Mal turned to look around again, taking in her surroundings. "Thank you...You did all this?" she asked softly, looking at the food as she put the roses down in water.

"I had help." he grinned, going over to the stereo and pressing play. "Dance with me?" he asked softly holding out his hand.

Mal looked at Ben's outstretched hand hesitantly as she wasn't very good at ballroom dancing. "I don't know Ben…."

"Sweetheart…would I let you fall? Trust me" he reassured her gently.

Mal got lost in his reassuring gaze and nodded slowly as he took her hand, letting him lead her to the dance floor. The music started to play as he held her waist gently and started to guide her.

 _ **How does a moment last forever?**_

 _ **How can a story never die?**_

 _ **It is love we must hold on to never easy but we try.**_

 _ **Sometimes our happiness is captured; somehow a time and place stand still.**_

"That's it." he smiled softly.

"Where did you learn to dance like this?" Mal asked amazed as Ben gently spun her round.

"Hailey." he smiled, pulling her back to him.

"So…All those 'meetings'"… Mal trailed off as it all came together.

"She was giving me dance lessons for this." he nodded smiling as they continued to twirl round.

 _ **Love lives on inside our heats and always will**_

 _ **Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone, but all else has been forgotten still our song lives on….**_

 _ **Maybe some moments weren't so perfect…maybe some memories not so sweet…but we have to know some bad times or our lives are incomplete.**_

 _ **Then when the shadows over take us.**_

 _ **Just when we feel all hope is gone…we'll hear our song and know once more our love lives on.**_

"What brought this on?" Mal asked softly as she locked gazes with Ben.

He just gave her a warm smile at her question. "You were wondering what it would have been like if we were born here and had been free to showcase our love to the world…to have the opportunity to live the happy-ever-after life enjoyed by royalty…So I wanted to make you feel like a princess for once." Ben replied lovingly.

An awed and shaky smile touched her face at his admission as tears welled in her eyes threatening to fall. She suddenly pulled him closer, gently kissing him.

 _ **Minutes turn to hours…days to years then gone.**_

"You may not have a title that makes you a princess Mal…But you will always be _my_ princess." Ben told her as he lifted her in a gentle spin.

 _ **How does a moment last forever…when our song lives on…**_

The song ended as he put her down, kissing her gently. Mal felt the world around her melt in the background as she kissed him back feeling like an absolute princess and wondering what good she had done in her life to deserve someone like Ben.

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"You made dinner too?" Mal asked as he helped her sit at the table a little while later.

"Ella helped." he said lifting the lids to reveal their favorite dish, mushroom ravioli. They ate and made small talk for a while until they were cut off by a loud bang. Mal's lifted her head in surprise at the sudden noise.

"There's one more surprise" he told her taking her hand and leading her over to a seat outside on the nearby open balcony.

"Benny you don't need-" she started but was cut off by Ben grinning "Just watch".

Purple, green and blue fireworks exploded out in the night sky. "Doug, Jay and Carlos helped with this." he told her as he pulled her on his lap, staring at the bright lights together.

Mal suddenly felt overwhelmed as the events of the evening caught up with her, realizing the length Ben had gone to give her this perfect evening. She turned to look at him in awe. "Benny… all of this is… _amazing_ …..I…I…I love you." she whispered.

"I love you too, my princess!" he whispered. He tightened his arm around her waist to keep her even closer as his other hand cupped her cheek pulling her in for a long and loving kiss.

As they separated for air, she laid her head on his shoulder watching the fireworks happily. Mal's only thought at that moment was that she was the luckiest girl in the world to have found someone like Ben and that finally nothing could ruin their happiness.

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Darkness

This eerie atmosphere was how the owner of this place liked it. The only light in the room was coming from a single candle placed on the table where he was seated at. This darkness reminded him so much of the good old days when he was free; free to create havoc with the help of his friends.

A low laughter filled this cavernous chamber, once home to great magical activity. Who would have thought, he said to himself, that after all this time an opportunity would have once again presented itself. And as he eyed the Amulet in his hands and the Royal parchment signed by HRM Hailey Charming herself, he couldn't stop feeling delight at the prospect of finally being able to keep that old promise and reclaiming the life he once had. This time he would take the matter in his own hands and he would not fail.

He could already almost feel the excitement of victory which made him let out another low laughter; this time the light from the candle casting a familiar shadow on one of the nearby walls…that of a long hat and a thin feather…

 **That's it. THEIR SO FLUFFY I'M GOING TO DIE! lol I was gently reminded in a review on my last story that with so much drama bal didn't get much time for just them so I tried to give our OTP some fluff. And a little hint of what's coming. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Review? Pretty please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi Guys. Here is Chapter 2 of Always and Forever. As always a HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to ALL of you for all your reads, reviews, follows and favs. I would also like to extend a MASSIVE MASIVIE THANK YOU to my Beta xez2003 you are AMAZING I couldn't write this without you.**

 **DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DECENDANTS ALL RIGHTS GO TO DISNEY ANY DIOLOGE YOU RECONISE BELONGS TO DISNEY I OWN NOTHING!**

 _The Isle - 8 Months Ago_

Maleficent watched with narrowed eyes as the car with her daughter and the other four children in it slowly pulled away taking them to Auradon. Once it was gone from view, she turned away from the balcony in deep thought just reliving the last moments with her daughter, just before she climbed into the car taking her away from her "control". As hard as she had tried to impress on Mal to obey her and bring her the wand, she felt that something was amiss. Also she did not get her title of 'Mistress of All Evil' by having just one plan. So as much as she was loathing to admit it, if there was something she had learnt from her past failures was that those pesky heroes were not to be underestimated and so she decided it was time to visit an old friend.

"Ah! Come in my dear. I was wondering whether or not I would have received your visit once I heard that the children are starting to be taken off our hands" Dr Facilier chuckled as Maleficent walked into his voodoo cave.

"I have a deal for you Dr" Maleficent stated.

"The mighty 'Mistress of All Evil' needs help from a humble Witch Doctor?" He gasped in fake shock.

"Cut the pretense Facilier. We both know you were never humble to start with. So are you interested?"

He pushed a chair towards her. "I'm listening."

Maleficent sat. "As you know I have been looking for a way off this wretched Isle for twenty years now."

"And now you have that way. Surely you trust your daughter to obey her own mother?" Facilier replied smoothly.

"My daughter is weak and soft hearted. She is too susceptible to ideas like _love_ " Maleficent spat.

"Hmm. I _have_ had my suspicions about her and Beast's child for a while now" Facilier mused.

"I want this barrier broken and once it is I want you to use your voodoo to _keep_ it that way".

Dr Facilier silently pondered Maleficent's proposition; after all she was not one to be trifled with. She was also not known to offer things for free either.

"What's in it for me?" he inquired.

"Once the barrier is down, you can have your pick of souls from any of the kingdoms of Auradon. You can even finally pay back your 'friends on the other side'. So? Do we have a deal?"

Dr Facilier grinned evilly "We have a deal old friend."

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The sound of instruments being tuned and the excited chatter of the students filled the air as the Auradon Prep School Band positioned itself at the school entrance for the arrival of the new 4 VKs from the Isle. In the last few days, the school has abuzz with the ongoing preparations not only for the arrival of the new kids but also for the upcoming graduation ceremony of the Senior Year students. The excitement and trill for the upcoming events could be easily felt throughout the school as all the students could be seen rushing from place to place calling to each other in an effort to get everything ready in time.

Well not everyone…

"You're not going to win you know" Ben smirked at Mal as they got into position to spar.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Mal smirked back.

"Because my sword and I have an agreement to get you back for beating me last time."

"A feat I am about to repeat. Who was it that taught you how to use your daggers in the first place?" Mal taunted as they started to circle each other.

"I think you will find that the student has suppressed the teacher sweetheart" Ben grinned.

"We shall see Benny" Mal teased as she lunged at Ben and the sparing began. Their swords clashed as they dodged each other while goading playfully.

"Oh so close" Ben teased as he raised his sword to block Mal's attack. She grinned at him before twisting her arm around knocking both of their swords out of their hands in the process before tackling Ben to the ground.

"I win…again" she whispered playfully from on top of him.

Ben grinned and lifted his right hand into her hair, pulling her down for a kiss.

A muffed cough interrupted their moment. "If you two are _quite_ finished." a voice said laughing in a light tone.

"Hailey!" Ben groaned as they reluctantly pulled away from each other. Ben stood and helped Mal up. She turned to look at her "sister" who was accompanied by a stern looking Audrey and Chad, who unlike Hailey, did not appear amused at all by the scene in front of them.

"This doesn't _look_ like practice Emerald." she chuckled.

"Maybe you have been doing it all wrong." Mal teased back making Ben and Hailey laugh.

"Hmph!" Audrey huffed before crossing her arms which killed the friendly and fun atmosphere in an instant and brought Mal back to reality.

"What do you need Hail?" Mal asked trying to ignore the stare Audrey was giving her, by turning back to Hailey.

"I came to find you two and the other VKs as the new kids are on their way."

"Dizzy's here?" Mal replied excitedly, happy once again and forgetting all about Audrey.

"Just about" Hailey grinned. "Come on. They'll want to see the 'VK Knights'"

Mal rolled her eyes playfully and she and Ben quickly followed Hailey to the front of the school, Audrey and Chad trailing behind them in a huff.

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Celia stared out of the window of the limousine in deep thought as it slowly approached the entrance of Auradon Prep. Her travel companions were busy chatting away, excitement clear in their voices as they greedily indulged in the various sweets littered inside the car taking them to their new life.

Yes her new life.

For as long as she could remember, her best childhood memories of the Isle where of her listening in awe as her father told her all about the good old days, where his natural power of persuasion coupled with his voodoo magic, had made him one of the most feared and successful villains around. With that image accompanying her growing up, she took it about herself to learn all the tricks of the trade to be just like him, even though she was confined to the Isle. But all that was going to change now as an opportunity had finally presented itself for her to really test the abilities she had practiced all through her young life, with the added bonus of making her father proud in the process and getting back at the traitors who had robbed them of the chance of taking over, robbing her father of getting his souls.

But as she put her hand inside her pocket and clasped a certain magical object, she couldn't help but smile at herself thinking Oh but this time they will not know what hit them before it is too late.

She was taken out of her reverie by the stopping of the car and Dizzy turning to her excitingly announcing that they had arrived. Dizzy practically jumped out of the car as soon as the door opened shouting out to Evie in the process.

"Diz!" Evie cried back as Dizzy raced into her arms.

As Celia got out of the car, she carefully took in her new surroundings as she recognized Mal mutter something to the person next to her, who by the distinctive crown on her head, Celia deducted was the Queen of Auradon. The Queen laughed softly at Mal's comment before turning to address the new arrivals. "Welcome! My name is Hailey". Celia introduced herself as Dr Facilier's daughter shaking her hand. Hailey grinned and went on to Smee's twin boys Squeaky and Squirmy. "I hope you guys can continue the VK hero legacy" Hailey grinned. "These five are off to a good start. I'm sure you know Mal and the others".

Suddenly all eyes turned to Hailey's other side as her introduction was suddenly cut short by a snapped "They are _not_ heroes". Hailey, clearly irritated for being interrupted and not wanting to argue in front of the younger kids, turned to the girl next to her hissing "Audrey! They saved the kingdom _twice_ , if that doesn't make them all heroes what _does?_ "

"They will _never_ be heroes to me" Audrey snapped back.

"Honestly Audrey if you don't want to be here, don't" Hailey hissed back.

"Fine" Audrey snapped storming off.

"Sorry about her guys. Let's give you all a tour and get you settled into dorms yeah?" Hailey asked Dizzy and the other three. They all nodded and followed Hailey and the VKs as they led them towards the front door. But what none of them noticed, as Hailey started giving them her tour speech, was Celia turning back to look at the retreating form of Audrey with a small wicked smile on her face.

When Hailey finished her welcome tour speech, she turned to Mal and Evie asking them to show Celia and Dizzy their dorm, while doing the same to Jay, Carlos and Ben for Squeaky and Squirmy. As they went up the steps, Dizzy and Evie got all lost in a discussion about the latest designs Evie was working on which gave Celia the perfect opportunity to approach Mal and whisper "Mal, would you mind showing us your dorm room before taking us to ours. You see, I know it would really mean a lot to Dizzy. Since we got the invitation to come to Auradon Prep, she has not stopped telling me of how much she was looking forward to see Evie's designs but I know she will not have the courage to ask you directly".

Mal smiled in return. "Of course. It will not be a problem" She turned to Evie "E, why don't we do a short pit stop and show Dizzy and Celia all your latest creations".

"Really!" squealed Dizzy in delight. As they approach their dorm room, Mal took out the key from her pocket and opened the door to let everyone in.

The room was everything Dizzy had imagined…a number of Mannequins lay on one side of the room each with a partially completed outfit lined on it. On the side of the Mannequins, was a large board with a number of pinned designs and just a little further away was a sewing table together with a number of different colored fabrics. Dizzy once again squealed in delight pulling Evie with her as Evie started showing Dizzy all she was working on and within a few seconds they were both oblivious to the world around them.

In the meantime, Celia scanned the room with particular attention taking in every detail until her eyes fell on the object she was looking for. She cautiously approached the aquarium shaped container with avid interest, turning to Mal in the process. "Is this who I think it is?" Mal, slightly uncomfortable with Celia's question quickly replied.

"Yes, it is my mom".

"So this is where you keep her? I would have thought who would have held her in a more secure place".

Mal, quickly changed the subject not wanting to talk about her mother, and turned to Evie. "E, it is getting late and Celia and Dizzy must be tired and they still need to get themselves settled it. You can continue showing Dizzy your latest creations another day".

So as the little group left Mal's and Evie's dorm, Celia turned to look one last time at Maleficent's 'prison' all the while clutching that certain magical object in her pocket. A little wicked smile once again graced her face as an idea started forming in her head…All the pieces are starting to come together…. She thought… now all she needed was a distraction and she had the perfect person in mind for the job….

 **That's it. Oh it looks like Celia is starting to get ideas.** **I hope you liked it. Review? Pretty please?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi Guys Here's chapter 3. Once again a HUGE THANK YOU for all your reads, reviews, follows and favs. And as always a BIG thank you to my Beta xez2003. Well without further ado take it away chapter 3!**

 **DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DECENDANTS ALL RIGHTS GO TO DISNEY ANY DIOLOGE YOU RECONISE BELONGS TO DISNEY I OWN NOTHING!**

Still drying his hair, Ben left the boys locker room. Tourney practice was one of the school activities which he truly enjoyed. Apart from the physical element of it, it was such a new experience for him, being part of a team and all. And as time went by, he slowly discovered that this sport and the consequent teamwork element surprisingly stirred into him a very pleasant feeling…one he would have never thought possible. As he passed the corridors leading out to the school grounds, he thought about how coming to Auradon had really changed him for the better. His trail of thought was suddenly interrupted when he spotted a certain beautiful purple haired girl sitting under an oak tree and decided to approach her quietly from behind with an 'evil' smile….

Mal smiled to herself as she sat under the oak tree in front of the school sketching. She really couldn't believe graduation was just days away. She never thought she would be here, sister in all but blood to the Queen, having a hero status with a Dame title and about to graduate high school. Her mind went back to her conversations with Ben back on the Isle when he used to tell her to just have hope…oh how right he was! Her smile softened even more as she wistfully thought of him. From the moment they met at fourteen, he has always been by her side even when she had pushed him away telling him she couldn't love him because of the stigma her mother had drilled into her head. He gave her time and space but never left her side. He even went back to the Isle with her, right back to his personal hell, because she couldn't take the pressure of being in Auradon anymore. Through every beating she took from her mother, every self-doubt from adjusting to being here, he has been there and she loved him so much for that. She was so lost in thought that she let her guard down for just a minute and didn't notice the approaching figure until it was too late.

" _Ahhh!"_ Mal shrieked as Ben appeared behind her wrapping his arm around her, as he chuckled in her ear.

"Got you!" he smirked.

 _"Ben!"_ she cried twisting around to look into his amused eyes.

"What are you doing sneaking up on me like that? You're lucky I didn't grab my dagger and stab you!"

"I would have dodged. Come on sweetheart, you could never hurt me." he chuckled.

Mal rolled her eyes fondly. "True!" she laughed as she kissed him lightly.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" he asked leaning his chin on her shoulder after they pulled back against the tree.

"Just thinking really." she murmured as she leaned back into his chest.

"Oh really? What about?" he asked.

"About how far we have all come. Can you believe we graduate in just over a week?"

"I know and I am so proud of you" he replied softly.

Mal smiled softly back at him. "Have I ever thanked you?"

"For what?" he asked her gently.

"Everything…loving me, never leaving me even though you probably should have at some point, showing me what love is, saving me from becoming a copy of my mother…I just...Benny there are no real words for me to tell you how much I love you…you saved my life!"

"You saved mine too!" he whispered back. "Mal you gave me something to fight for, someone to love and protect. You know how I lived after my mother died and what my father was like. You were the first person in a very long time to give me any positive attention…so if you are thanking me for loving you…I need to thank _you_ as well."

Mal twisted back around and kissed him softly thinking I love him so much.

They were interrupted as Fairy Godmother's voice suddenly blared over the loud speaker. _"All students please report to the auditorium for the Valedictorian announcement"._ They reluctantly pulled back from each other.

"Do we _have_ to?" Ben pouted making Mal laugh.

"I guess we better the sooner we go, the sooner we can get back to this" she said playfully, giving him one last peck before standing and helping him up.

"Oh…here sweetheart" he said bending down and picking up her sketch book, which she had dropped in shock when he had hugged her so unexpectedly.

"Thanks" she smiled taking it from him, as she tucked the attached pencil back into the book, before slipping it back into her bag.

"So Jane's birthday party is today?" Mal asked as Ben took her hand and started to lead her forward.

"Yeah Carlos has already got the Lake set up. He's really looking forward to it." Ben chuckled.

"Can you blame him? This is his first girlfriend's birthday that's he is here for. Of course he wants to go all out."

Ben chuckled as he led Mal into the auditorium and found their seats near the gang.

"Good morning everyone and thank you for coming." Fairy Godmother said into the microphone once everyone was seated, while Hailey stood to the side of the stage smiling. "As you all know graduation is not far away and I'm sure you are all wondering who your Valedictorian is going to be." Fairy Godmother continued. "As you know, we base our selection on grades, contribution to the school-".

"Thank you so much Fairy Godmother. It is an honor to be-" Audrey butted in gushing as she came up on stage.

"Audrey. It's not you." Hailey cut her off.

"What?...B-u-t…everyone knows I have the highest grades…" Audrey stuttered in shock looking at Fairy Godmother.

"I'm sorry my dear. While that is true and you have the high grades, that is not the only thing we have considered in arriving at our decision. Hailey is right. It's not you!" she said gently before turning back to the microphone.

"As I was saying. Please welcome to the stage your Valedictorian…..Mal."

Mal froze in shock. _What?_ she thought stunned as Ben and the gang started cheering.

"Sweetheart get up there!" Ben called shoving her gently. She started walking up, still stunned by the news, as the other students joined in the clapping and cheering.

"Mal. You have had a rough start here. But you have pulled through and the school board and I have been amazed at everything you have done. And it is for this reason that we have decided to make you Valedictorian. Congratulations" Fairy Godmother announced proudly.

"Um…thank you" Mal replied, still a bit stunned she never expected this.

"I would also like to add a personal thank you, Mal" Hailey said coming over. "You have saved this kingdom even when you were never really acknowledged for it, even when there was no obligation for you to, so I would like to say a heartfelt thank you and that we are proud to call you a hero." Hailey smiled proudly.

 ** _"What?!"_** Audrey shrieked, breaking out of her shock. Mal rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to tell her that she didn't expect it either when one of Hailey's guards rushes in, all in panic.

"Your Majesty. My apologies for the interruption but we are under attack. Uma has been spotted" he gasped out of breath.

" _What?_ _Where?_ How did she escape the Isle?" Hailey asked quickly.

"In the waters of Auradon beach. From the looks of it her crew is there as well." he answered.

"I'm on it!" Mal replied, quickly leaping off the stage.

"Emerald. You don't have to-" Hailey tried to say as she followed her down the stage.

"Hailey. This is part of my _job_ as a Dame to protect the kingdom. Besides, I'm the one Uma most likely wants!" she exclaimed turning back to her.

"Don't go alone. I'll go with you" Hailey pleaded with her worriedly.

"Hail. You need to stay here where it is safe. It wouldn't be good if Uma got a hold of you again." Mal replied gently.

"Anyway. Who says she's going alone?" Ben claimed coming up to her side with Evie, Jay and Carlos. Mal smiled softly at them despite the situation, thinking how they always had her back no matter what.

"Thanks guys. Come on, there is no time to waste!" she cried, running off to get her sword, with them following close behind.

"Be safe you guys!" Hailey called after them.

"We'll be back before you know it!" Mal smiled back before they ran out to face Uma.

Audrey watched furiously as Mal and her friends ran off to 'save the day' before storming out in the opposite direction.

 **̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

At the news of Uma's attack, the whole school went into a frenzy and all the students starting running along the corridors to try and find a safe place to hide.

Through all the confusion, Celia walked along the corridor leading out of Mal and Evie's dorm with a satisfied glint in her eyes as she eyed the now glowing green amulet in her hands. No one took notice of her leaving Mal's room as everyone was distracted by Uma's attack. _Perfect! The first part of the plan has gone off without a flinch_ she thought gleefully. Her thoughts went to her father and how proud he will be once she was able to share the good news with him in person.

But she was not ready yet. Before that, she needed to find the perfect victim to "persuade" to wear the amulet and unleash the surprise held within. In the meantime, all the corridors quieted down and she noticed she was now alone until she heard the sound of two people talking close by and from the sound of it one person was not really in the best of moods. She couldn't believe her luck as she turned the corner and spotted a familiar student who was having a heated conversation with her boyfriend. So Celia hid behind the corner, waiting for the opportune moment, listened with avid interest…..

"I just don't _believe_ this, Chad! _I_ was supposed to be Valedictorian _. I_ was supposed to be the one Hailey was close to! Mal has ruined my life. I never wanted those Isle brats here in the first place and now one of them has taken everything from me. I _hate_ her! Why does _she_ get everything meant for me? Her mother nearly ruined my mother's life and now she's ruining mine!"

"Hey. You're Audrey right?" Celia suddenly interrupted Audrey's rant. Audrey turned around to see who had interrupted her. "Yes what do you want?" she snapped back annoyed.

"My name's Celia and I need your help."

"Why would I help a VK brat?" She snapped thinking that the last person she wanted to see in front of her was an Isle kid. _Who does she think she is? Asking me, a princess, to help her?_

"Because helping me gets you what _you_ want - the ability to destroy Mal." Upon hearing those words, Audrey perked up suddenly interested in what Celia had to say.

"Ah! I see I have your attention." she commented with a small smile.

"Why would you want Mal destroyed?" Audrey asked not really caring but curious. "Isn't she a 'hero' to you guys?"

"Let's just say that Mal isn't as popular on the Isle as you might think. So will you help?" Celia asked.

"What do I have to do?" Audrey asked eagerly.

"All you have to do is wear this." Celia said pulling out the amulet out of her pocket. "This Amulet will give you the power."

Audrey could not believe it. The day did not turn out so bad after all. As she eyed the glowing amulet in front of her, all she could think was that finally she had found a way to make Mal pay. "Give it to me!" she cried grabbing it out of Celia's hand and putting it on. She immediately started to giggle wickedly as she felt the power running through her. Suddenly she was engulfed in a puff of green smoke and, as it cleared, she looked down at herself and noticed that her hair was now a bright pink and she was wearing dark leather clothing. As a voice started whispering in her head, she turned to smirk at Chad and Celia. "I am still missing a certain important item but luckily for us I know exactly where to find it, and also the right person to help us get it, before any of those pesky heroes knows what hit them. Come on. Follow me. We have a birthday party to crash!"

Celia's wicked smile matched Audrey's as the three of them were engulfed in a green puff of smoke before disappearing.

 **̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

The ring of swords and yells echoed around the beach at Belle's Harbour as the VKs led by Ben were busy fighting off Uma's crew of pirates. "I'm missing my girlfriend's birthday party because of this!" Carlos yelled angrily as his sword clashed against Harry's.

A large shadow suddenly covered the bright sunlight as Mal, in her dragon form, roared and breathed fire on Uma's crew as she descended towards the ongoing battle. At the sight of this, Uma's crew decide to run for their lives and start retreating to their ship. Uma started following them but suddenly stopped and turned around towards the VKs just before climbing aboard as if she was waiting for something or someone.

Mal touched down on land and transformed back into her human form, charging straight towards her. Their swords clashed loudly as Mal confidently taunted "Can't you see that you are outmatched. You never should have come back Shrimpy. You know I will show you no mercy after what you did to Ben last time. Retreat while you still can!"

Suddenly something in Uma's pocket beeped and she smirked. "You're quite gullible, you know. Is that a 'hero' thing, Mal?"

"What do you mean?" Mal growled back.

"Why do you think you defeated us so easily this time? Don't you get it? We are only here to act as a distraction". She suddenly turned around, running up the steps to her ship as the crew were getting ready to get the Lost Revenge back to the high sea. Just as she was about to leave, she turned and taunted "How's your mother been lately?"

Mal gasped in realization at the implication of Uma's statement. She suddenly remembered that she had noticed that her mother had been unusually quiet that morning. _"Leave them!_ Guys _**leave them**_! We have to get back!" Mal screamed turning around and running toward Ben and the others.

"What is it?" Ben asked sensing Mal's panic.

"Big trouble" she gasped as she teleported everyone away. They reappeared in the hallway next to the throne room which was hardly ever used but something told Mal that there was where Hailey was.

 _"Hailey-"_ Mal screamed bursting through the door, with the others right behind her. But they realized in horror that they were too late as they took in the scene in front of them. Hailey. Daniel, Ella, Kit and Jane were all being held captive by huge black shadows.

"Why hello Mal. How nice of you to join us. We were just waiting for you. I do have a little surprise to share with you which I am sure you will love." Audrey smirked. But she didn't look like Audrey at all. Her hair and clothes were different but Mal gasped in horror as she realised that somehow Audrey was holding her mother's sceptre.

"How is that possible? Only my mother or myself can hold that sceptre. Audrey what did you do?" Mal asked.

"What I've been wanting to do ever since _you_ got here!" she growled.

"Audrey put the sceptre down. You don't really know what you're doing." Mal tried to reason with her.

"You mean this?" as she raised the sceptre as if to show it off. "I did say I have a surprise to show you. No?"

"Audrey was quite a willing participant in my plan." Celia suddenly revealed. Mal could only stare at her in disbelief. Why would she do this? She had the chance of a life here.

"Oh but I assure you that I _do_ know." Audrey continued. "Didn't you ever wonder who it was that gave Granny and Tiffany the idea _and_ the means to poison you? You took _everything_ from me!"

"That was _you?_ " Mal gasped as Ben snarled loudly.

"Yes my very first evil act." Audrey said in a 'aren't you proud?' voice.

"Mal nearly _died_ because of you!" Ben roared as he took a menacing step towards her.

"Ben!" Mal pulled him back eyeing the sceptre. "How did you get that?"

"Oh! Jane was quite helpful after a little persuasion." Audrey smirked as Jane sobbed. "I am _so_ sorry guys! I didn't know what I was doing!"

"It's alright Jane. It wasn't your fault." Carlos said gently before glaring at Celia and Audrey.

"So what are you going to do? Kill us all and take over the kingdom? Mal guessed still not understanding how Audrey was able to hold the sceptre without falling victim to its sleeping curse.

"Oh _we_ are not really going to do anything." Celia smirked. _"She_ is!"

Green smoke suddenly engulfed Audrey and a familiar evil cackle rings out as Maleficent appeared in front of Audrey "I'm baaaaacccccck!"

"Mother" Mal says flatly.

 **Cliffhanger! Sorry I had to. The drama is starting what's going to happen now? You'll find out next chapter I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Review? Pretty please?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys. Sorry not sorry about the cliff-hanger lol. The main thing is here is the next chapter. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your reads reviews, follows, and fav's. And as always a MASSIVE MASSIVE HUMUGUS THANK YOU to my Beta xez2003! This chapter would not be half the chapter it is without you! thank you SO much!**

 ***WARNING PLEASE READ*: This chapter does get a bit bloody so if you are sensitive to that type of thing please skip the marked part of this chapter I do not want to upset anyone. That being said take it away chapter 4!**

 **DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DECENDANTS ALL RIGHTS GO TO DISNEY ANY DIOLOGE YOU RECONISE BELONGS TO DISNEY I OWN NOTHING!**

Everyone in the room held their breath and they could only stare with their eyes wide in fear at the sight of Maleficent once again in her human form. Ben and Mal had a death grip on each other's hand as Maleficent's eyes bore into Mal's with an evil smirk. Ben pulls her behind him instantly snarling as Maleficent started laughing sinisterly "Hiding her from me isn't going to work Benjamin."

"Leave Ben out of this mother. Why don't you get on with the gloating and tell us how and why you are here? You're supposed to be a lizard." Mal growled stepping back out from behind Ben.

"Oh if you insist Mal. I do love rubbing my plans in heroes' faces so much." she smirked.

As her mother spoke, Mal's thoughts wondered off back in time to all her past failed attempts. She didn't keep Aurora sleeping. She didn't get the wand when she sent them over to steal it. She's complained to her enough times about her plans failing over the years for Mal to know. Why would her mother's plans succeed now? She wondered. So with that in mind, she turned to her defiantly and quipped confidently "Not that any of them really worked anyway".

Maleficent could only glare at her before turning to Celia with an evil glint in her eyes. "Thank you for your assistance my dear. You have made your father very proud today." Celia beamed proudly at the compliment.

"What do you mean?" Mal asked looking between them.

Maleficent cackled. "You think I got my title of 'Mistress of All Evil' by having just _one_ plan, you stupid girl? I knew the chance of you being swayed to turn good by these pesky heroes was high. You always _were_ too soft to truly be evil and get me the wand as I wanted. So I went and made a backup plan with Dr Facilier the minute you left."

Once again, Mal's thoughts went back to her life on the Isle and to all those times her mother had lectured her on how disappointed she was that Mal was not evil enough for her. As much as she didn't want to admit it, and despite the new life she had built so hard in Auradon, her words degrading her like this, still hurt her but Mal shook it off asking her. "So what's the plan now? Just the old take over the kingdom?"

"Oh this kingdom will be mine very soon but first I have plans for you."

 _"Over my dead body!"_ Ben snarled at her, pulling Mal behind him again as Evie, Jay and Carlos stood beside them protectively.

"Have it your way, Benjamin" Maleficent smirked as she waved her staff and green lighting crackles and more black shadows rushed towards them.

"Guys. You free Hailey and the others!" Mal yelled as she charged towards her mother. Mal felt a rush of adrenaline run through her as she turned to face her mother thinking about Ben, her friends and the life she had fought so hard to have here in Auradon. She felt her magical power start to pulse deep within her as her eyes started to glow in response. She raised her hands blasting a direct purple lightning at her mother who met it with her own green magic.

"Get down!" she yelled to the others as the two sets of lightning met with a boom. The ground shook and a fierce wind blew Mal's hair back as she struggled to keep her mother back. All of a sudden, her mother's beam started to gain a slight advantage and Mal realized worriedly that her magical powers had been drained. _If only I had not used my dragon form during our earlier fight with Uma…_ she thought… _So Uma's attack was really part of my mother's plan after all._ But she brushed those thoughts aside as she concentrated all of her remaining magic and energies against her mother while throwing a side glance at Ben, as the memories from Hailey's coronation echoed in her head. _I will **not** lose and let the people I love suffer!_

 **(Sensitive Material Starts Here)**

Mal was pulled away from her thoughts as she suddenly heard Hailey who was being held back by two shadows scream pleadingly " _Chad, Audrey_ **_no!_** " She turned her head around to see Chad, who she hadn't even noticed until now, along with Audrey, advancing on Ella and Kit with evil smirks and daggers in their hands. Her eyes widened at the scene but she realized in fear that she was unable to do anything as the others were all busy in their own battles against the shadows that Celia was commanding.

She could only watch in horror as they both stabbed Hailey's parents in the chest. The blood stained her surrogate parents' clothes as they choked and fell to the floor, as the shadows holding them let go.

 _ **"Mom! Dad!**_ " Hailey screamed sobbing as she slashed at her own shadow and rushed over to them.

"No! No no no, mommy, daddy, don't leave me _please!_ " she begged as Ella touched her cheek weakly, struggling to speak.

"Hailey..we…are…. so proud…of you…." Ella whispered.

"We…love you…..baby…..girl" Kit said weakly giving his daughter one last weak smile.

"I love you too!" Hailey sobbed as both her parents' eyes close.

 **(You can look now)**

Mal couldn't stop the tears running down her face as she watched her sister cry. And what was worse, she had lost her parents because of her own _brother_ and his girlfriend. But she couldn't think on that anymore because while she was distracted by Hailey, her mother had gained even more power on her and suddenly Mal was blasted back into the wall. She landed in a heap on the floor as the force of the impact knocked the wind out of her.

 _"Don't touch her Maleficent!"_ Ben roared as Maleficent advanced on Mal smirking. He tried to charge at her but, just like at Hailey's coronation, Maleficent froze him in his tracks.

She turned to look at Ben with an evil smirk taunting "Oh! I think someone has forgotten that he is no match for me and my sceptre".

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!" he repeated but was unable to break free from her freezing spell.

"And it also seems that someone needs to work on sustaining their magical energy levels better!" she mocked in a baby tone, before grabbing Mal by the arm. "You're coming with me" she hissed in her ear.

At that moment time seemed to slow to a crawl for Mal. She did not want to give her mother the twisted satisfaction of seeing the fear in her eyes so she kept her gaze on Ben, whose eyes widened in utter horror.

 _"Mal!"_ he screamed struggling even more against the invisible force binding him. Suddenly his expression changed to one of pure determination. "I _will_ find you Mal! Promise me you will hang on. _I love you!"_

Mal's vision started to go black around her as she lost consciousness and the last thing she saw was a puff of green smoke surrounding her, her mother's evil laughter fading away.

 **̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

 _"Mal!"_ Ben screamed in utter horror as a puff of green smoke covered Maleficent and Mal along with Celia, Audrey and Chad. As soon as they start disappearing from view, Maleficent's spell wore off and he started charging towards the spot where they were but Jay's arms quickly wrapped around him keeping him back.

" _Jay! Let me go."_ he howled, struggling against him as he watched them disappear from view. Evie and Carlos got in front of him to help Jay.

Ben felt as if an invisible hand had just squeezed his heart, which only further fueled his strength to free himself from his friends' grips. "Guys. _Let me go!"_ _How can they not see it? **Did they not understand?!** Maleficent will kill Mal! I have to get to her and fast!_

 _"Guys!_ Maleficent will _kill_ Mal for what she did! I have to go after them now! I _promised_ I will save her" he screamed still struggling.

"Ben. You just saw what happened. We are no match for her. We don't even know where Maleficent has taken her. We won't let anything happen to her but you need to stop and think clearly. -" Evie tried to say.

"How can I think clearly when my soulmate is about to _die?!_ " he roared back.

 _"ENOUGH!"_. Hailey shouted. Ben stopped struggling at the sudden outburst and all eyes turned to look at Hailey. "Evie's right Ben. We will get Mal back I promise" she said coming up. Her voice cracked a little and there were still tears on her face but she looks determined.

"How?" he asked angrily.

"Come with me quickly. At this point, there is only one person strong enough to defeat Maleficent when she's at her full power". Ben quickly followed Hailey to her office. "How much do you know about Mal's father?" she asked gently, must calmer after her previous outburst.

Ben shrugged, confused. "Not much. Mal never really knew who he was."

"Well I do. Before you guys came here, I asked Fairy Godmother to do a background check on all of you, just to be safe."

"How is this going to help us now? He's just another villain" Ben asked impatiently. He could not stop thinking about Mal and how they were wasting time. Mal was already being hurt he could feel it.

"No Ben. Mal's dad isn't 'just another villain' he's…..Hades."

Ben's jaw dropped as his mind processed what he had just heard. _Hades? As in **the god of the underworld?** **He** was Mal's dad?_ _In some ways it made sense. Maleficent wouldn't pick just anyone to have a child with, and it did explain why Mal seemed so powerful even on the Isle._

"You're sure?" he asked Hailey dumbfounded.

She nodded. "We double checked. He is the only person who can help now."

Ben nodded firmly as he felt confidence take over once again. _It looks like I'm off to the underworld. Please Mal! Hang on a little longer! He thought determinately. No matter what it takes, I am coming to save you._ "I promise." he whispered fiercely.

 **̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

For a moment Mal couldn't exactly remember what happened to her or why she had suddenly passed out. However, as her senses slowly returned she was suddenly filled with a sense of dread. Her sense of balance was the first to return. She was vertical by the feel of it. She opened her eyes slowly and looked up to see that she was chained to a wall with glowing green shackles on her wrists. She tugged at them to test their strength but they didn't budge.

"Well well well! Nice of you to finally join us again." She looked around to see Celia. Audrey and Chad smirking at her wickedly.

Mal took the opportunity to give a look at her surroundings. She was in a well-furnished sitting room, apart from the wall where she was chained to, which was cleared of all items. She did not recognize the place but it did not look like the Isle. She smiled inwardly to herself….if this is not the Isle I may be able to use my magic to escape. But as she tried to summon her magic she realized that nothing happened. "Where am I?" she growled at them pulling at her cuffs again.

"This is the cabin I used to contact my father and discuss our plans." Celia smirked looking round the room. "And if you are wondering why your magic isn't working, you have to thank those magical cuffs you are wearing. They have been spelled specifically to repel your magic."

"Celia why? You had a chance for a new life in Auradon. Why throw that away?" Mal asked.

"Because I was finally able to do what _you_ , the great _Maleficent's daughter_ couldn't. Make my parent proud."

"Is it worth it though? The villains are always defeated at the end. You'll be sent back to the Isle for this." Mal tried to reason with her before turning to glare at Audrey. "I'm not really surprised _you're_ in on this."

"You're just jealous that I make a better villain in five minutes then you did in sixteen years." Audrey smirked.

"Killing Hailey's parents in cold blood and bringing back the worst villain in the land is nothing to be proud of prissy!" she snarled. Poor Hailey.

"Enough" Maleficent interrupted as she coolly swept in the room.

"Leave!" she ordered to the two other girls and Chad, leaving mother and daughter to stare at each other.

"Well. Get on with it mother" Mal challenged her, trying to hide the fear that was starting to build inside her stomach.

"You know Mal. I actually did have high hopes for you when you were born but you just continuously disappointed me. You turned me into a lizard. Your own mother!"

"You're not my mother. Ella was more of a mother to me in eight months then you were in sixteen years." Mal snapped back angrily.

Maleficent scoffed. "And look where it got her. The heroes and their stupid ideals of love. And that _boy,_ he ruined you! I should have killed him the minute you met him. But then again, you always were a soft hearted weakling."

Mal felt a deep anger raise inside her as soon as her mother mentioned the man she loved. She could mess with her all she wanted but she would not allow her to threaten Ben, especially after all that had happened at Hailey's coronation. _"Don't_ you bring Ben into this!" She snarled at her despite her predicament, struggling with all her might against the chains holding her in place.

Maleficent just smirked at her and pulled out a wicked looking _iron_ dagger. Mal couldn't stop the involuntary flinch that ran through her body as she eyed the blade in her mother's hands. "Now for my favorite part of the plan, 'teaching you a lesson'." Maleficent taunted.

Mal's eyes inevitably widened in fear, her thoughts going automatically to Ben, as she watched her mother advance towards her with an evil glint in her eyes…

 **That's it. So Mal's dad has been revealed! And Ben's off to the underworld. Sorry about the blood I hated killing Ella and Kit but it's a little unrealistic if nobody dies in battles right? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Review? Pretty please?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys Surprise! An early update for you! I had the idea's for this chapter already floating around my head so I got it written pretty quickly. A MASSIVE MASSIVE THANK YOU to my Beta xez2003. You are truly amazing! I couldn't do this without you. And as always a HUGE HUGE THANK YOU to you all for your reads,reviews, follows and fav's. Once again I will mention that this story has been revamped. Old readers if you feel so inclined leave me a review with your thoughts on the changes? That is all so without further ado take it away chapter 5**

 **DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DECENDANTS ALL RIGHTS GO TO DISNEY ANY DIOLOGE YOU RECONISE BELONGS TO DISNEY I OWN NOTHING!**

Mal stood still and silent staring at her mother as she slowly approached her with an evil smirk. She braced herself for the inevitable pain she knew was coming while all of her thoughts turned to Ben. She was certain beyond any doubt that he wouldn't stop looking for her until he found her, even if it meant going to the end of the earth to do so. She just had to hold on until he came. But she could feel her resolve crumble and herself begin to tremble at the sight of the iron blade in her mother's hand as it inched closer to her. Would she be able to hold on until he arrived?

"Oh don't worry dear. I'm not going to stab you." Maleficent smirked, clearly delighted at the sight of her now helpless daughter. She stopped just an few inches away from Mal running the dagger over her daughter's right arm, before stopping just a few centimetres away from her right wrist.

"What do you mean-" Mal started to ask her but her trail of thought was suddenly cut short as pain erupted through her arm as Maleficent sliced her skin leaving a nasty and brutal cut.

Maleficent just couldn't hide her satisfaction at the painful expression her daughter was trying so hard to hide. "Just stabbing you would be too easy and quick, so I enchanted this dagger. Every time you are cut, the iron will slowly leak into your blood and I don't think I need to tell you how painful _that's_ going to be. Do I?" she grinned, quickly shifting sides and leaving a nasty bleeding mark on her left arm.

Mal's whole frame started shaking with the pain that engulfed her now wounded arms. She felt tears building up in her eyes but she gritted her teeth in defiance to hold in a scream. She didn't know for how much longer she could keep it up but she would not give her mother the satisfaction of seeing her at her mercy. "Why?" she managed to gasp out at her mother.

 _ **"** **Why?!**_ Because you _betrayed_ me. You left me in a cage as a lizard, never thinking for one second about how to free me. You were too consumed with that _boy_ and how to act like a princess." she scoffed. "So I decided to give you the same treatment. I wanted to make you feel what it is like to be locked up with no one coming for you. But then I came to the conclusion that it would have been too little for a punishment. I also wanted to see you suffer…at least for as long as I decide to let you live."

Mal glared intensely at her mother. She thought no one was coming for her? She really didn't know Ben like she did. Or her friends for that matter. They would never give up looking for her. With all the strength she could master, she looked up to her mother and growled "I did that to you because you _deserved_ it. You would have destroyed Auradon and Ben if I had given you the wand."

Maleficent felt a deep anger rise within her at her daughter's statement and turned to slap her hard across the face. "You really think you love him?" At her daughter's firm and defiant nod, she snarled. "Well, loving him is about to cost you more pain then you've ever known!" She continued before suddenly lunging towards her daughter again, dagger in hand.

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Mal's mind drifted in and out of consciousness. She didn't really have a sense of time anymore. Every minute felt like an hour and every hour felt like an eternity. She presently felt too weak to even tell for how long she had been kept captive. She could hear the sound of approaching footsteps which only meant that her mother was returning for another round of punishment. Inwardly, she grimaced. She tried gritting her teeth to stop the scream that threatened to escape her lips as Maleficent's dagger drew a fresh wound in Mal's leg.

The unbearable pain tore through Mal's body mercilessly, causing her to slump even more in her chains. The situation was rapidly becoming too much for her to bear and Mal could feel she was very close to reaching her breaking point. But suddenly Ben's promise and his comforting voice broke through her pain. _I **will** find you, Mal. Promise me you will hang on. I love you._ And despite her best efforts, she suddenly felt overwhelmed by the memory of his promise and a whimper finally broke through her lips.

"Ben-" she whispered ever so softly as Maleficent started laughing cruelly.

"You really are stupid. Aren't you? He's _not coming._ He's woken up and realized what I already know. You are not worth it. He's probably already found someone better."

Mal gathered her strength and opened her eyes to glare weakly at her mother, retorting "Shut…up. You…don't…..know…him…like…I…do.."

"Oh? Then why isn't he here yet?" she gloated.

"Because…you are keeping…him from…me. I wouldn't…put it…passed you to…put an unfindable…spell on…this place." She managed to growl weakly.

Maleficent could only laugh again at her daughter's confidence. "As fun as that would be to watch your Beastie boy run around but not find you, no I actually haven't done that."

Mal just glared at her weakly. She didn't really believe her but she was so tired. Her every nerve was now screaming in pain as she could feel the iron slowly invading every part of her body. But she believed in Ben no matter what so she closed her eyes, trying to conserve the little energies she had left until he would come. He will find me.

Mal's senses resurfaced a little while later to the sound of a nearby conversation. "You know. We could just let her stave…or die of thirst." A voice rang out.

"No. She will die only when I say she will." She heard her mother snap as she jammed a cup of water to her mouth. Mal didn't want anything from her mother but instinctively drank it. _I need to stay alive…_

"Audrey, my dear. You still have a lot to learn about being a villain. Starving and dehydration is a too simple way of torture. Come along. I will continue your lessons." Mal's last thought before losing consciousness again was that she was not at all surprised that the last suggestion had come from Audrey.

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Hailey and Ben quickly returned to the throne room where Carlos was comforting Jane while Fairy Godmother, who they found out had been kept out of the room by a barrier, started fixing the damage to the room. Daniel hurried up and hugged Hailey again.

As Ben looked at them embrace, he felt that hand squeeze his heart again as he thought about Mal. A sense of urgency then gripped him as he turned to address Hailey. "Will you be ok if I go?"

"Yes…in fact I'm coming with you." she said quietly, starting to pull away from Daniel's hug.

"Hailey-" Daniel started gently but she shook her head.

"Don't try to stop me, Daniel. It's about time I repaid some of what my sister did for me."

Ben nodded slowly at Hailey giving her his approval. He just hoped that Hailey had learned her lesson and stayed out of trouble this time because Mal wouldn't be able to help her. But he needed all the help he could get with finding where Maleficent was holding her.

Hailey had revealed to him that the entrance of the underworld was back on the Isle. No matter what it took, he would find a way to convince him to help him. So with a determined look in his eyes, he turned to face his friends.

"Ben?" Jay asked.

"Let's go." He called to the four of them walking out of the room.

"Alright. You guys go look for Mal while I'm going to go talk to her dad. Maleficent had probably taken her to the Isle where her magic doesn't work. Just be careful."

"What? You know who he is?" Carlos asked.

"Yes I do. But now is not the time for explanations. Mal is in danger. There is no time to waste. If you find anything call me. Fairy Godmother has enchanted our phones so they will work even with the barrier".

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As Ben walked down the alleys of the Isle he spotted the many posters of Mal, him and the other 3 VKs calling them heroes. A small smile graced Ben face, despite the current situation, thinking that Mal didn't need a poster as she would always be his hero. She had saved his life, she gave him a reason to live, someone to protect and she had reminded him what it felt to be loved after his mother's death. He would save her even if it was the last thing he did.

Finally, following the directions that Hailey had given him, he arrived near the very edge of the other side of the Isle. The place was completely deserted as if even the villains on the Isle knew better than to disturb the God of the Underworld. He stopped near a cracked wall with shimmering blue flame insignias on it. This was it.

He stepped through the narrow gap and was instantly transported to a dimly lit corridor lined with skulls and bones. He slowly walked along, keeping up his guard. Suddenly, he felt an intense burning sensation running up his arm. It was just for a few seconds before it faded away. The pain he felt could only be coming from Mal. The feeling strangely reassured him. If she was hurting and he could feel it, it meant that she was still alive. He quickened his pace as a response.

Finally he came to stand behind a set of huge black doors. These were also imprinted with the blue flame insignia he had seen at the entrance. He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. Hades would not be easy to persuade, being a god and all, but Mal needed him and he would not fail her.

Before he could reach forward to knock on the doors, they open on their own. "Enter mortal if you dare." A deep voice rang out. Ben walked in to what must be Hades' throne room. Like the corridor, the room was lit by torches and made of black stone. In the centre of the room, guarded by two skeletons, was a throne made of the same polished black stone with a blue silk seat and backing. And there sitting on it, dressed in a black suit with a flowing cape was Hades.

Ben bowed in respect because even villains had to bow to the gods. And he also wanted to stay on his good side. "Lord Hades!" he addressed him cautiously.

"You have manners, boy. I like that…it has been many years since a mortal has willingly sort me out. What is your name?" he asked.

"Ben and I have come to ask…for your help!" he started. The doors suddenly shut behind him with a loud bang but he didn't let it phase him, and he continued to look at Hades with an intense and determined look.

"Oh? And why is that?" Hades asked, suddenly curious as to why a mortal, let alone a boy, had taken such a dangerous trip to seek his assistance.

"It's about your daughter…she's been kidnapped by Maleficent." Ben had to bite back a whimper, not being able to hide the tremble from his voice.

Hades sighed. "While that is unfortunate, Gods do not interfere with mortal problems."

"But Lord Hades. Why-" Ben wondered… _It wouldn't take him long at all…he could save her with a simple snap of his fingers._

"The gods are above such petty affairs." Hades explained.

 _"Petty affairs?_! This is your _daughter_ we are talking about!" Ben yelled not being able to hold his frustration and desperation any longer. "She will _die_ if I don't find her! You have to know what Maleficent is like!"

Hades pondered what the boy in front of him said carefully for a few long seconds before turning to him. "I might consider helping you but my help does not come for free. You will have to prove yourself worthy."

"What do I have to do? I'll do anything!" Ben responded quickly.

Hades gave Ben a small mysterious smile as he clapped his hands and the throne room dissolved into another room with a large tunnel at the end.

Hades whistled shrilly. "Cerberus!" he called and a booming bark answered causing Ben to become suddenly uneasy. "Take him down and my help is yours." Hades said before disappearing as Ben heard approaching growls along with thudding footsteps.

He braced himself as the massive three headed Mastiff came into view growling. "Ok look. I'm quite fond of dogs but my soulmate's life may depend on-" Ben started but was cut off as Cerberus charged towards him snapping his middle jaw. Ben managed to dodge, pulling out his daggers in the process, but he wasn't fast enough and the left head managed to grab his right arm, making him yell in pain and drop the knife.

Ben successfully managed to stab the animal's nose and chin with his other dagger, which made him let go of him. Ben clutched his now bleeding arm as he tried desperately to get away from all three snapping jaws.

Ben grimly realized that he was no match for the creature in front of him and that he was running out of time. Mal needed him and so there was only one thing left for him to do. After what had happened at the Council Gala, he had promised himself that he would no longer become that beast. Yes he had used it to protect the people he loved from harm but for him that also represented a part of his life tied to his past on the Isle. But if that was what was necessary to save Mal, he would tap into it one last time,

He closed his eyes, concentrating on Mal and let his desire to protect her from Maleficent take over his soul. His eyes opened, turning a bright shade of yellow and he roared, shocking Cerberus into a stop. Ben's body grew in size turning him into a Beast. He charged at Cerberus slashing at him with his claws until finally one of them managed to catch the eyes of his middle head, which caused Cerberus to howl in pain and fall over.

"Enough." Hades said as he appeared and marched over to Cerberus, his hands glowing.

"You're a very brave determined kid. I'll give you that" he said.

Ben's eyes once again glowed a bright shade of yellow before he reverted back to his human form. He turned to face Mal's father with an intense gaze. "Comes with having something and someone to fight for."

"Hmm. My daughter seems to be very important to you." Hades hummed leaving Cerberus fully healed, slowly coming over to Ben. Surprisingly, Hades took Ben's still bleeding arm and healed it too.

"So will you help?" Ben asked hopefully.

"You have certainly proven yourself courageous, determined and resourceful. I am impressed. And she _is_ my daughter. Come with me. I will set up a locator spell". He clapped his hands again and they were taken back to his throne room. "Do you have anything of Mal's with you?"

Ben frowned sadly at the question, as he thought about Mal's necklace which she had to break to save him from Uma's spell during the Royal Council Gala. "I-I have a connection to her and she always wears a ring I gave her."

Hades nodded, with a little smirk. "That will be enough. I am a God after all. Now close your eyes and think of her Ben." Ben relaxed with a little smile as thoughts of Mal flowed in his head. Hades placed a hand on his forehead and Ben felt a strange sensation envelope him as Hades' magic went through him.

Ben's eyes snapped open as an image of a familiar cabin close to the Enchanted Lake appeared in his head. He quickly turned to Hades. "Let's go. I know where she is".

"Wait." Hades stopped him in his tracks before he could leave. "I know Maleficent. You will need to be prepared to face her. You might have defeated Cerberus but your beastly power will not be enough against her magic."

"So what do you suggest?" Ben asked.

"A little something to even out the odds. Plus, I have a few friends who are just dying for an opportunity to smell some fresh air." Hades smiled mischievously.

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Mal was unable to hold back a scream as her mother dragged the dagger down along the skin of her side. Thinking about Ben, she concentrated all her efforts on regulating her breathing until the pain subdued a little, enough for her screams to turn to soft whimpers. With determination, she managed to weakly open her eyes to the sight of her mother smiling evilly. Mal had no idea of how long it had been since she was held captive but she refused to give up. She would not give her mother the satisfaction of dying, not when she knew what it would do to Ben.

Suddenly, there was a loud roar from outside the cabin. Her muddled mind was unable to recognize the sound but it doesn't sound like Ben.

"What the-" Maleficent muttered shocked at the sudden noise.

"Your Evilness…..There are _dragons_ outside!" Celia cried in alarm as she rushed in the room, followed by Audrey and Chad.

In her semi-conscious state, Mal wondered if she heard correctly. _What? Dragons?_

Maleficent scowled at being interrupting but spun around to follow the other three to see the source of the commotion. But before she left, she turned back and warned Mal manically with an evil laugh. "Hold tight my dear. I'm not finished with you."

Mal closed her eyes again, trying to breathe through the pain and conserve the last of her fleeting energies. A few moments later, her pain filled mind was alerted to the sound of a familiar voice whimpering "What did she do to you?" Even in her weakened state, she would have recognized that voice anywhere. With a great effort, Mal forced herself back to consciousness and willed her eyes to open, even if just barely. And she was rewarded with the best sight she had ever seen.

"Ben-" came a husky whisper from her lips.

"Shh. Don't talk. I'm going to get you out of here sweetheart." he said firmly as he grabbed her cuffs.

"Ben…they…are magical…they won't just break-" Mal struggled to say.

"I know. I guessed they would be but I'm prepared." he reassured her gently as his hands shone a bright blue while his eyes glowed yellow.

To Mal's shock, the chains broke free and she fell limply into Ben's arms. An adoring smile graced her lips as she lifted a trembling hand to caresses his cheek "I…knew…you'd…come!" she said weakly.

"I promised. Didn't I?" he smiled as he cradled her gently and pressed her to his chest, relieved beyond words that she was alive and safely back in his arms. Ben quickly lifted her up in his arms, being mindful of her numerous injuries and carried her out of the cabin.

Mal instinctively curled into him knowing that she was finally safe, knowing that Ben would rather die before letting her mother near her again. "The…others…" she managed to mutter.

"Shh. The others are still looking for you. I'll call them soon. Right now I'm more worried about _you_." he said gently, concern written all over his eyes as he took in her bleeding wounds. He subconsciously held her even closer to his heart. "It's over. You are safe. I will never let you go again."

At his heartfelt admission, Mal's felt a sense of peace invade her. Her eyes closed as her dizziness finally got the best of her. _It was okay to finally rest…Ben was here._

Ben started to panic as he felt Mal go limp in his arms. Relief washed over him as he checked her pulse to find her heart beating steadily. She had just passed out. Not wasting any more time, he rushed outside to the ranging battle and yelled. "She needs help. We have to go. _Now!"_

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Mal's senses returned just in time for her to hear an unfamiliar voice instruct "Lay her on the bed".

She felt a shiver run through her, as she left the warmth and safety of Ben's strong arms, as he gently laid her down on what feels like a soft mattress.

"You may want to-" the unfamiliar voice continued.

"I'm _not_ leaving her." Ben said firmly as he clasped her hand tightly.

"Ben!" Mal started to whimper softly as a pair of unfamiliar hands started touching her numerous cuts. She suddenly felt a familiar tingling sensation invade her senses as magic slowly started to heal her body.

"It's ok sweetheart. I'm here. Lord Hades is just healing you." Ben soothed Mal as he gently stroke her hair.

Mal relaxed focusing on Ben's calming touch. As the pain started to fade and her senses started resurfacing back at once, Mal fully comprehended what Ben had just revealed and suddenly questioned. "How did you convince him to do that? A god wouldn't help me." Mal finally managed to open her eyes, coming to face to face with Hades, who was looking at her with a gentle look in his eyes.

"He would if he was your father." Hades replied gently.

Mal could only gasp at the admission. _What?!_

 **That's it! Whoa so Mal now knows who her father is. How do you think she's going to react? Questions questions lol. My fellow Once Upon A Time fans if you picture Hades actor** **Greg Germann that's what I'm picturing him to look like. EDIT: Since the release of the D3 trailers we now know what Hades is supposed to look like but its up to you readers which look you picture him with. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Review? Pretty please?  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys. Here is Chapter 6 for you. As always a MASSIVE MASSIVE THANK YOU To my Beta xez2003 for your AMAZING editing skills! A HUGE thank you must go to Harry Potter Fan 1994 for your help with Hades backstory. And last but certainly not least a HUGE HUGE THANK YOU to all of you for your reads, reviews, follow and favs. Well I won't hold you guys up anymore. Take it away Chapter 6!**

 **DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DESCENDANTS ALL RIGHTS GO TO DISNEY ANY DIOLOGE YOU RECONISE BELONGS TO DISNEY I OWN NOTHING!**

 _"He would if he was your father."_

Mal could not believe what she had just heard. Her senses came to a full alert and her world stopped spinning with a sudden halt as soon as those words left Hades' mouth. How could he be her father … that was not possible. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she tried unsuccessfully to swallow hard to get rid of it.

"But-but…that can't be right! Mother always said my father was weak and useless." She managed to finally stutter after a few moments.

"I'm not surprised. Maleficent thinks anyone who is unable to conquer the world is like that." Hades retorted.

Mal could only stare back at Hades with shocked eyes. But as the shock started wearing off, her numbness started being replaced by an uncontrollable anger and she suddenly felt the urge to leave this place and get away from her 'father'. She abruptly turned and tried to get up from the bed only to feel herself start to crumble to the ground as soon as her feet touched the floor. Ben caught her just in time and cried "Mal, What are you doing?"

 _"Wait!_ You still need to rest." Hades tried to reason with her calmly. "My magic might have healed your wounds but it still has its limits. Maleficent used very strong magic and you still need a few hours of rest before your body fully recovers from the effect of the iron in your blood."

Mal could no longer control her emotions and with shaking hands turned to her father. "Oh yeah? You almost sound as if you care about me. Then if you _care_ so much about me, _where were you_ all this time? Why did you let her hurt me? You're a _god!_ You could have taken me away from her!"

"Mal, calm down sweetheart-" Ben started soothingly.

"No Ben. I want to know the reason why my so powerful dad let me be beaten and manipulated my whole life! If it wasn't for you I wouldn't even know what love _is_!" She shouted firmly. _"Why did you leave me with a monster?!"_

Hades could only stare into Mal's angry and hurt eyes at her outburst. This was really his daughter. He hadn't seen her since she was two days old. As the realization hit him, that strange and unfamiliar feeling at the bottom of his stomach, the same one he had felt that day all those years ago, resurfaced again. _She looks beautiful!_ he thought to himself, before once more pushing those feelings aside, still not ready to deal with them.

"May I remind you who you are talking to!" Hades' voice boomed in the chamber _. "I AM A GOD!_ I don't need to justify my actions to anyone! But if you must know, at the time you were born I wasn't as powerful as I am now. My powers had been dulled by Zeus before I was put on the Isle. All I cared about at the time was getting my powers back. So I was easily tricked by your mother but when I found out about you, I did confront her. She insisted she wanted to keep you. And what did I know about raising a child, so I left you with her."

"Well it seems you got your powers back. _Well done!"_ Mal spat back in anger. "But why did you decide to help me now then?"

"It was something Ben said to me. About me knowing what Maleficent was like. You see after all this time I finally had a chance of payback against her for tricking me all those years ago so I took it." He answered her calmly.

At this, Mal suddenly felt deflated. She really didn't know what to think. As the implications of what her father had told her started to sink in, she felt a new wave of pain rise within her. What did she expect after all…there had to be a reason her father was not present all of her life.

She slowly turned towards him and paused, locking gazes with him before she replied. "Well I guess mother was right about something for once in her life. You really are weak." She paused, taking a steadying breath as she sagged further into Ben. "Okay look. Thank you for healing me but could you leave now. I'm tired." she muttered visibly calmer. But deep down it was a different story. She could feel all her emotions collide into each other so all she needed right now was to run away from it all and curl into Ben's arms … the only place where she felt truly safe and secure.

Hades nodded in understanding. "Call me if you need anything." he replied giving Mal one last look before he turned and slowly walked away, closing the door behind him as he left.

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As Hades left the room, Ben shifted to look down better at Mal, who was still leaning heavily against him. He could feel her begin to shake against him from the effort of being on her feet so he softly turned to her. "Come sweetheart. You heard what he said. You need to rest. Maleficent is still out there and you will need to be at your full strength if we want to face her and defeat her once and for all."

Ben slowly lifted her up in his arms and carefully sets her back down on the bed. He felt her tremble again as he slowly let her go until her hand flew up to touch his arm, stopping him in place. No words were needed as Ben looked into Mal's eyes. So he took off his shoes and climbed in the bed next to her. A concerned look crossed his face as he placed a comforting arm around her shoulder while she curled to his side gripping a fistful of his shirt in the process.

Mal curled into Ben's chest still reeling from the shock of Hades' revelation. _Her dad was a god._ She felt so confused. She remained in this position for a few long seconds, letting the feel of Ben's strong arms around her lull her into a comforting state of security. "Ben!" She finally spoke in a soft whisper "Why didn't he fight for me? Surely, even with his dulled powers, he should have been more powerful than my mother."

"I don't know sweetheart". He paused. "But what I _do_ know is that as long as I am breathing, I will _always_ fight for you!" Ben murmured as he started stroking her hair in comfort. "I will never let her, or _anyone_ else, touch you ever again. I promise. You're safe!"

Mal looked up to smile weakly at him. She once again wondered what good she had done in this world to have someone like Ben in her life. At that moment she came to the realization that the truth about Hades did not really matter anymore…Ben was all the family she needed.

Apart from situations where she was scared of losing Ben, the love of her life, Mal never really considered herself as a person who let her emotions get the best of her. After all, she was born on the Isle and showing emotion was considered to be a sign of weakness. On the Isle, showing any kind of emotion meant that you faced certain doom. But here it was just Ben and her. He was the only person she could really be herself around. Here with him, she could just let go of all her emotions, without the fear of being judged. So as she listened to his soothing and reassuring words, the events of the last few hours with her mother finally caught up with her full force and before she knew it she had begun to cry. Oh…but it felt so good to cry!

Ben felt Mal's arms tighten around him, feeling her composure abruptly change to one of fear before she suddenly broke down in sobs. He tightened his arms around her in response, pulling her even closer to him. "It's ok. Cry it out sweetheart. Let it all out. It's ok. I'm here."

"I was _so_ scared." she managed to say in between her heaving sobs and heavy tears.

"I know love. But you're safe now. You were so brave!" he continued to sooth her while stroking her back gently in a comforting manner.

"I knew you'd come. I just didn't know if I could hold on until you did. I was in so much pain that I didn't know how much time had passed since she had taken me. I was so terrified but I also knew what would happen to you if I died." she said as her tears continued to fall.

"But you didn't sweetheart. You held on for me, for _us,_ and I am _so_ proud of you." he cooed.

Mal continued to sob into Ben's chest, letting go of all her pent up fears and pain. Ben continued to hold her tenderly while she did. She hung onto him like a lifeline, as she let the gentle feel of his arms around her offer her that sense of peace and security that she so desperately needed at that moment. And as her cries slowly quieted down, she was engulfed by an incredibly warm feeling that wrapped around her protectively like a blanket.

"I love you Mal." was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep exhausted, a tiniest of smiles gracing her lips.

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Hades could only sigh heavily as he walked down the hallway, deep in thought. Truthfully, he didn't really blame Mal for being angry with him. She was right after all…he wasn't in her life when he could have been. But did he really care? He was a _God_ after all and he was above human matters. It is true that her birth had been what had ultimately led him to his surprising redemption but he had made a choice all those years ago and he had stuck to it, never turning back. But that strange unfamiliar feeling he had felt so many years ago suddenly resurfaced unexpectedly, as his thoughts wandered back to the events leading to her birth and the change it had brought about.

 _Flashback_  
 _The Isle - Sixteen Years Ago_

 _Hades chuckled as he spooked the other villains with moving shadows and flames, before frowning as he looked down at his hands. 'I used to be able to do so much more than this. I am supposed to be a fully powered god and instead I am here stuck doing these merger tricks!' he thought to himself as he walked down an alley sticking to the shadows._

 _He suddenly stopped when he heard a voice shout "Fools! Idiots!" before there was a noise of frantic scrambling to get away. Curiosity got the best of him and he turned to find out who the owner of the voice was and discovered with an amused smile that it was Maleficent who continued to mutter angrily, not noticing his presence. "Oh. Why is it so hard to find good help these days?"_

 _Amused by the situation, Hades decided to make himself noticed. "Oh. I know" he said coming out of the alley._

 _"Hades." Maleficent said turning round._

 _"Maleficent." he replied. "What's the problem?"_

 _"My knuckleheads are a disgrace to the forces of evil." she griped. "Oh when I get off of this wretched place those pesky heroes will pay." She vowed angrily._

 _Hades studied her carefully. Normally he wouldn't even consider a partnership with anyone. He was a god and didn't need anyone's help. But they were all in the same boat so if he was going to work with someone to get away from this gods forsaken place, who better than the 'Mistress of All Evil'?_

 _"Well Maleficent. Today may just be your lucky day. I have a proposition for you…"_

 _Over the following months, Maleficent and him met regularly discussing plans to get themselves off the Isle. They had become unexpectedly closer than he had anticipated, he mused one night, as he left her castle. But still, he didn't give what happened between them much thought. 'I mean nothing would come of it' he concluded or so he had thought…_

 _And then suddenly, without warning, as they were making the final touches to their plan, Maleficent informed him in no kind words that she did not need his help any longer and their partnership fell through as quickly as it had started._

 _So Hades remembered of how he was totally surprised when out of the blues a few months later he received a message from one of her goblins that she wanted to see him. So out of curiosity he decided to accept the invitation and headed to her castle._

 _As they come face to face, Maleficent had this strange look on her face but before he could ask what was wrong and why she had summoned him, he heard a small cry coming from a nearby bedroom._

 _"What was that?" he asked going past her and into the room, but froze when he spotted a small bundle laying in the middle of the bed._

 _"That is the fruition of my plan." Maleficent said smugly from behind him._

 _"What?" Hades turned to her stunned._

 _"I admit. I wasn't very keen on the idea, particularly with how much pain it took to get her here but it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. With our magic combined, she will suppress even me in power."_

 _Hades slowly walked slowly over to the bed as Maleficent's words start to sink in. He peered down at the little purple haired baby girl…she couldn't be more than two days old he mused. She stopped crying for a moment as her green eyes stared right back at him and a strange unfamiliar feeling came over him._

 _"You used me to get her." He turned back to Maleficent in understanding._

 _"I'm the 'Mistress of All Evil'. What did you expect, Hades?" Maleficent laughed._

 _That strange feeling continued to invade his body and before he knew what he was doing, he subconsciously reached out to pick up the baby but stopped mid-air before he could touch her as Maleficent continued "I have so much to teach her. She will be one of the most evil villains in history when I'm done with her."_

 _Hades didn't dare protest at her plan not wanting to admit to her but especially to himself that this baby, this innocent baby, had stirred something deep within him. Him, Hades, the great GOD of the underworld who had not thought twice of killing Hercules, his nephew, to achieve his goals._

 _"Tell me her name at least." he demanded._

 _"Oh alright. I suppose you did help me get her. Her name is Maleficent Bertha Fairy but until she can earn that name she will be known as Mal." She paused. "Now. I believe you have no more business here." Maleficent concluded firmly walking away as Mal's cries reverberated around the castle. "Oh! Stop that infernal noise you abdominal creature!_

 _But as he left Maleficent's castle, his daughter's last cries kept echoing in his head. It was driving him crazy as if it was trying to painfully remind him that all that happened to him was all his own undoing. Once upon a time he had it all…he was the supreme ruler of the underworld…that is until he let his greed and jealousy lead him to betray his own brother and try to kill his own nephew. And now he was punished here on the Isle of the Lost with no way out, and what's worst, he was unwillingly tricked and, because of him, another innocent life was about to suffer. Enough…he didn't want to be part of it any longer._

 _"ZEUS! ZEUS! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME. I NEED TO SPEAK TO YOU BROTHER!" Hades started to shout out in the air while looking up in the sky._

 _"What do you want, Hades?" Zeus growled, as he appeared in a flash of bright lightning, having decided to hear what his brother had to tell him._

 _"I wish to repent for my crimes brother. I now know that taking your son away from you and trying to kill him was wrong." Hades said as felt that strange feeling, brought about by the sight of his daughter, take control over him. "I am willing to serve as God of the Underworld on the Isle. To repent for my sins, I will distance myself from the mortals, only seeing them at their death."_

 _Zeus looked surprised at Hades's request but asked "Are you absolutely sure of what you are telling me brother? You will not be allowed to leave the underworld for whatever reason. You may say you want to repent but I don't and can't trust you, not after what you have done in the past. I will be watching you closely this time and if I find out you have left the underworld for whatever reason, I will show you no mercy and my punishment will be terrible."_

 _Hades nodded in response._

 _"Very well, brother. So be it. I will give you another chance." Zeus waved his hand and Hades found himself back in a familiar black stoned room. He waved his hand testing his powers and a polished throne appeared._

 _He hummed in approval at having his powers back to full strength before going to sit. Thoughts of his daughter came back to his head but he shook it quickly to clear it. He buried those feelings deep down inside him where he would no longer dwell about them. After all, he would have no more contact with her, or any other mortal, for that matter. Whatever Maleficent did to her did not concern him any longer. He was the GOD of the underworld once more and this time he would not waste the second chance that had been given to him._

 _Flashback Ends_

Hades sighed as he returned to the present. He was so lost in thought that he did not even realize that he had arrived back to the throne room. He sat in his throne and conjured a viewing mirror to check-up on his daughter and discovered that she had finally fallen asleep with Ben's arms around her, a little peaceful smile adorning her face.

He paused to look at her for a few more seconds, his heart starting to hammer in his chest as he was enveloped by that strange feeling he had felt all those years ago. He threw the mirror across the room in fury, breaking it in many pieces. After all this time and all he had done to repent for his sins, that strange feeling still continued to torment him. He needed to get rid of it. And as he put his head in his hands frustratingly, he decided that he could no longer hide from it and that it was finally time to face it and understand it if he ever wanted to truly free himself from it. The only thing he was certain was that it had to do with his daughter and that she was the key to everything…

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Maleficent could only watch dumbfounded as the dragons who were presently attacking their cabin disappeared from view as quickly as they had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. She turned at the sound of someone yelling and her shock quickly turned to anger as she spotted that wretched boy holding her now free daughter in his arms. But before they could disappear in a puff of smoke, she noticed a very familiar blue aura of magic surrounding him.

As realization hit her that the blue aura could only belong to Hades, she felt rage engulf her and she stormed back into the cabin, nearly breaking the front door in the process. _Hades never cared about his daughter before. So why now? It must have been Benjamin who somehow convinced him to help him._ Glass shattered as Maleficent screamed in fury breaking everything that was in sight.

"Your Evilness-" Celia tried to interrupt.

"I do not _believe_ this! Once again that boy is in the way of my revenge!" Maleficent continued to scream. "This is all _his_ fault! But I will find a way to make him pay for it, if it is the _last_ thing I do."

"They can't have gotten too far. Let's go after them." Chad suggested.

Maleficent took a long steadying breath trying to calm herself. She had only lost one battle for now but she was still free and at full power so there was still time for her to carry out her revenge. She also suddenly realized that Hades, who was effectively the only one strong enough to stop her, had not intervened personally, which meant that maybe he was confined to the underworld, which made her smile as a result. Mal was no match for her magic. Maybe not all was lost after all.

"That wretched boy was helped by Hades. I could sense his magical aura. They will be in the underworld by now! Hades would be at his full power there so it would be suicide to attack him, even with my magic restored to its full strength."

She glanced at Chad again, as if she had just noticed him for the first time, and turned to address him. "Tell me Chad. Why were you so happy to kill your own parents? I have never heard of a 'hero' doing that."

"They _replaced_ me." Chad growled in anger crossing his arms before continuing "My whole family loved Mal more than me. I wanted to show Hailey and her new 'sister' what it's like to be abandoned!"

 _Ah jealousy! Perhaps he would be more useful then I first thought._ Maleficent pondered as she paced the now destroyed cabin, thinking of a new plan.

Her trail of thought was suddenly interrupted as Audrey suggested. "Celia. Couldn't you use your voodoo to haunt Mal's sleep? I mean she may be away from us but we can still hurt her."

Maleficent froze in her tracks as the word 'sleep' echoed in the brain. _That was it! What am I most famous for after all? There was still a way to get my revenge._ Maleficent started to smile evilly as a plan started forming in her head.

"Audrey my dear. You have just given me an idea."

Maleficent continued to grin evilly as she raised her staff preparing to cast the strongest sleeping curse any kingdom had ever known…

 **Oh it looks like trouble is coming for Auradon! And it seems Mal didn't take the news about her dad very well huh? Poor girl she's been through a lot but at least she has Ben. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Review? Pretty please?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi Guys. Here is chapter 7 for you. As always a MASSIVE MASSIVE THANK YOU to my AMAZING Beta xez2003 this chapter would be an absolute MESS without you. And a HUGE HUGE THANK YOU to all of you for your reads, reviews follows and fav's. Well I think that's it so without further ado Take it away chapter 7!**

 **DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DESCENDANTS ALL RIGHTS GO TO DISNEY ANY DIOLOGE YOU RECONISE BELONGS TO DISNEY I OWN NOTHING!**

Ben's attention was directed solely at the sleeping form in his arms, his smile softening as he stroked Mal's hair. Her breathing was slow and steady as she rested peacefully against him, no sign of her recent ordeal with Maleficent visible on her face. He could watch her sleep for all eternity, he thought, as he tried to memorise every line and feature of her face. To him, she was simply perfection.

And after all they had been through together, Ben just couldn't picture his life without her. Words could not describe the relief he felt that he had managed to find her in time and that she was back, safe and sound, in his arms. The thought of losing her was just too painful to think about. He couldn't even begin to imagine what losing her would have done to him.

As he continued to look at her, unable and unwilling to tear his eyes from her, his thoughts wondered back to all that had happened to them since they had met on the Isle. She had saved his life long before coming to Auradon. Mal had managed to break through his stone cold exterior, to the broken heart that had witnessed helpless as his mother died protecting him and that had known nothing in his life but fear and pain from his father's abuse. Despite her conflicting emotions, torn between making her own mother proud and their newly discovered strange and unexplainable connection, she took it upon herself to show him that there was more to life than the hatred and loneliness he solely knew. As time went by, Ben surprisingly discovered that he had developed a sense of gratitude towards her. And finally, a year after meeting her, he realized that this sense of gratitude had turned into something more, something he never thought he would be capable of ever feeling again in his life, especially on the Isle, a great affection.

She had now become the sun that brightened his life and the light that guided him to be a better person, away from his family's dark legacy. And as he held her in his arms, he promised to himself that he would never let her go ever again. He loved her and he would remain by her side for the rest of his life.

His hand left her hair to slowly stroke her cheek, feeling her twitch at his touch.

As her senses leisurely resurfaced, Mal felt herself float on a sense of utter peace and security. Her lashes fluttered slowly as her green eyes blinked open. She stared at the ceiling for a moment before turning to Ben, having felt his arm around her.

"Hey." she greeted softly with a smile.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"Better." she muttered.

Ben smiled in relief and kissed her forehead tenderly in response. "Are you hungry?" he asked gently.

"Hmm." she hummed nodding slightly.

Ben shifted slightly, gently hooking his arm under her shoulders to help her sit up. "Easy" he cooed, helping her into a sitting position. He then reached out to his side for the chicken noodle soup he had asked Hades to bring her a short while ago and placed it on his lap.

"Here. It's chicken noodle soup. Your favorite." He smiled, offering her a spoonful.

She accepted it slowly before trying to protest. "Ben. I can feed myself you know."

"Hush and let me take care of you." he scolded her gently as he offered her another spoonful.

Mal blushed slightly with a shy grin as her eyes locked with Ben's. Mal was thankful that she was sitting up in bed at the moment, as she was sure that the loving and tender gaze he was currently giving her would have made her weak in the knees. As she continued to let Ben feed her, she didn't realize just how hungry she was until the plate was empty within a few short minutes.

Ben's brow knitted in a concern as he watched Mal greedily devour her soup as if it was the last meal she would ever get. He could feel his hatred towards Maleficent rise even more as he sadly realized that she had most likely starved her during her captivity. But he was brought back to reality when Mal asks him about the VKs and Hailey.

"They are right outside the door. Actually, they have been waiting patiently for you to wake up." Ben smiled, getting up and opening the door to the bedroom for them to enter.

 _"Mal!_ " Blurs of blonde and blue flew past Ben as Hailey and Evie flung their arms around Mal.

 _"Careful_ with her." Ben said firmly as Jay and Carlos hurried over as well.

Hailey felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her chest as she embraced Mal in a tight hug. She had been worried sick and no words could describe the relief she felt at that moment in seeing her alive. She sniffled into Mal's shoulder as her emotions got the best of her. "I am so glad you're alive. I couldn't lose you too. You're the only family I have now. I feel so alone."

"Hey…Hail. I will _always_ be your sister. As long as you have me, as long as you have all of us, you are never going to be alone." Mal replied gently, hugging her tightly in response.

Hailey nodded slowly, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry. This shouldn't be about me right now."

"Don't be silly. You just lost your parents and they were murdered by your only sibling. That type of trauma is hard-" But Mal's comforting words got cut off by a very loud thundering sound, which resonated around them even through they were in the underworld.

"What was that?" Jay asked the question on everyone's mind out aloud as they turned to look at each other worriedly. In their many years living on the Isle they had never heard such a loud noise, particularly because it rarely rained on the Isle so it was unlikely to be a simple thunderstorm.

Mal was the first to react as she freed herself from the group hug she was currently engulfed in and turned to look at Ben. "Let's go find out." she said slowly getting out of bed and testing her feet before shakily standing up.

"Easy." Ben cautioned, hurrying over and putting his arm around her to steady her. She waited a few precious seconds for her dizziness to subdue completely as she got used to being back in a standing position, after having been lying down in bed for so long. She then smiled to Ben signalling him to let her go.

"Hey Ben. Are you ever going to tell who Mal's dad is?" Carlos suddenly asked.

"Carlos. Take a look around you and try to take a wild guess." Mal pointed out sarcastically.

All the VKs' jaws dropped as realization finally hit them. "Your dad is-" Carlos managed to stutter dumbfoundedly.

"Yes my dad is a god. It is a long story. I'll tell you all about it later. Right now we have to go. With my Mother running around freely, any noise like that can only mean big trouble." Mal stated, as she and Ben led them to Hades' throne room.

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

"Dad?" Mal asked, the word tasting strange in her mouth. It would still take her a while to fully digest and process the news that had been thrown at her so unexpectedly. Hades, the God of the Underworld, was her father. When she was little, and her mother used to get angry at her and lock her up in her room as punishment for not being evil enough, she would always dream that her father would come to 'save' her. Her mother always used to tell her that he was weak, powerless and pathetic but she didn't believe her. Knowing her, she could have easily been keeping him purposely away from her. But as she grew up and finally realized that he was never coming, she accepted that he did not love her, just like her mother. But at least her mother had wanted her, so then she promised herself to find a way for her mother to 'love' her someday so she turned all her efforts into trying to make her proud.

"Ah. I am assuming you all heard that too." Hades replied smoothly as the other four bowed quickly in respect.

"No. We just came because I wanted to talk." Mal muttered sarcastically. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she continued "Do you know what it was?"

"No. But I can find out." Hades said, waving his hand and a viewing orb appeared in the middle of the room, showing a large black cloud of smoke racing toward Auradon. Everyone in the room watched with a worried expression, which quickly turned into a horrified one, as they saw the people engulfed in the smoke instantly fall to the ground in a deep sleep.

Realization dawned on Mal as she cried out. "My mother cast another sleeping curse."

"No! Daniel!" Hailey screamed.

"Jane!"  
"Doug!"  
"Lonnie!" the whole group cried for their partner.

A confused expression suddenly appeared on Mal's face as she asked. "Whoa hold on. Why aren't we also asleep?"

"The anti-magic barrier around the Isle has protected you and everyone on the Isle from the curse."

"Ok. So what do we do now?!" Hailey cried. "How do we break the curse and stop Maleficent?"

Mal and Ben exchanged a worried expression as they realized they had no idea of what they could do to break a curse of that magnitude. They turned to face Hades as he cleared his throat.

"There may be a way but it will not be easy. The only way I know is to destroy Maleficent's sceptre as a spell of this scale could only have been fueled by it."

"And how do we do that?" Ben asked him as he subconsciously reached out to hold Mal's hand in his own.

"There is only one magical item powerful enough to do it, the sword of Excalibur." Hades revealed.

"So. We are going to Camelot." Evie said determinately, as they nodded to each other and turned to leave.

 _"Wait!_ The six of you cannot do this alone. Maleficent will be expecting you so I am sure she has organized herself." Hades warned.

"Why not? We have been handling our own business for our entire lives, relying solely on ourselves. Not that you would know anything about that." Mal replied with a hint of resentment in her voice.

Hades sighed before addressing his daughter. "Well. For starters only one of you has magic and I'm quite sure Ben doesn't want to go through the process of saving you again, especially if you exhaust yourself before going up against your mother Mal. I won't be able to intervene as I am not allowed to leave this cave as part of my deal with Zeus."

"And who says we need your help!" Mal spat. Ben squeezed Mal's hand in effort to calm her down.

"What about the powers you gave me?" Ben asked letting go of Mal's hand and pulling her close to him protectively.

"I'm afraid that those will have worn off by now. I was able to channel them through you before but since you have no godly or magical blood, they will have faded." he explained. "No. You guys need help. You are not going to like it but I know of a certain pirate crew who could do it." Hades tried to reason with her.

 _"No way!_ I am _not_ working with Shrimpy! Not after what she did to Ben last time!" Mal yelled, clearly outraged at the her father's suggestion.

"And I am _not_ having her psychopathic first mate, who has been after my girl for years, anywhere around her again!" Ben agreed.

 _"ENOUGH!_ This is more important that your little personal feuds. You will have to move past them if you want to save Auradon. You will be needing backup as Maleficent will be surely waiting for you. If you will lose, the kingdom will be lost for good. Is that what you want?" Hades challenged.

Mal sighed in defeat. "I'll talk to Uma."

 _"We_ will talk to her." Ben corrected her, giving her a gentle squeeze, which Mal returned with a little smile of her own.

"Good. Once she is convinced, use this to teleport yourself off the Isle." Hades explained handing her a pendent.

Mal took the magical object, giving one last long look at her father without saying anything and turned towards her friends to leave. As they are about to reach the door, Mal was stopped by her dad's voice.

"Mal! Wait! Can I talk to you before you leave..alone?" he asked in an almost pleading voice.

Mal let a sigh escape her lips as she turned to Ben. "Will you give us a minute and wait outside. I won't be long."

Ben's brows creased in concern "Are you sure?".

"Yes. Don't worry. I will be fine." she replied smiling reassuringly before giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

Hades watched the exchange between his daughter and Ben, in front of him, deep in thought. There was something in the way they looked and acted towards each other that had made Hades feel uncomfortable and somewhat confused. He just couldn't explain it. And that strange and unexplained feeling in the pit of his stomach had not left him for one second since his daughter had been here. Now was his chance to confront it. He had arrived at the conclusion that maybe explaining to her what had led to his decision to return to the underworld and her 'unwilling' role in it, would finally rid him of this feeling, whatever it was.

"So here I am. What do you want?" Mal asked as she shifted position uncomfortably.

"I wanted to explain what lead me to ask Zeus to return to the underworld-" He started to explain but was cut-off by Mal almost immediately.

"Look, Hades. I am grateful for all you have done for me. Whatever your reasons are, you decided to help Ben and I would not be here now if it wasn't for you. So thank you. But this is as far as it goes. I would not have even found out you were my father if any of this had not happened. Maybe it would have mattered to me to discover your existence when I was still little and innocent and used to dream that you would come save me from mom. But now I have grown up and accepted reality, that neither my father nor my mother ever loved me. At least my mother wanted me so I did my best to make her proud by trying to be the baddest of them all."

She paused to take a long breath before continuing "And I would have turned out just like her, if it wasn't for Ben. He saved me. I wouldn't even know that love existed if it wasn't for him. At first we were both scared as we felt this strange and unexpected connection between us. It brought about such new unexplainable feelings that we had never felt before in our life. Despite being scared, we found the courage to face them together. And in the most unexpected of places, the Isle, we realized we loved each other. I always wondered what it would be like to be part of a family but now I know. Ben and my friends have become my family. Ben has never left my side through it all, not even for one second, even when I was not sure I was capable of loving him back or when he had to face his personal hell. I don't know what I have done in my life to deserve his love but I thank my lucky stars every day. So quite frankly, whatever you have to tell me does not really matter anymore. As you yourself admitted, what mattered to you was getting your powers back. They were more important to you than anything else and besides, as you rightly said, what did you know about taking care of a child. Well it seems at the end, we all got what we wanted."

"But - " Hades tried to interrupt.

"Now I think we don't have anything more left to discuss. So if you will excuse me, I have to save Auradon. At last I have found happiness. I finally have a home and a family who loves me and I am not going to let anyone harm it or take it away from me. Finally, I have something really worth fighting for." And with that Mal turned around and left, without even giving a last glance at her father.

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

As they approached Goblin's Wharf, Mal's thoughts were focused on the hard conversation she was going to have in a few moments with her 'arch enemy'. She thought back to the time where they were actually friends. It was a good time. And truthfully, she had gotten tired of this long-time feud with her, even if she would never openly admit it to her. And after all, Mal now had a new life in Auradon because Hailey had decided to give her a chance. And if there was something she had learnt so far from this experience was that everyone deserved a second chance, if they truly showed remorse for their actions.

"Well well well. Look who it is. Came back for a rematch, Beastie?" Harry asked cockily when he saw Mal, Ben and her group approach the anchored Lost Revenge.

"Oh. I'd be _happy_ to kick your butt again, Hook." Ben snarled in response, unable to control himself.

"Ben. Now is not the time." Mal told him softly, pulling him back in an effort to calm him down.

"Where is Uma, Harry? We need a word with her." She demanded.

"Oh really? This should be interesting." Harry smirked before calling out. "Captain, you have visitors."

"Whoever it is, tell them to get lost Harry. I am not in the mo-" Uma snapped as she came up from below deck but stopped dead in her tracks when she realized who her visitors are. "What do you two want?".

"White flag of truce Uma. We are here to talk. Believe me, we don't want to be here as much as you do but we have something important to discuss. Aren't you curious to know what?" Mal tried to reason with her.

"Talk." she snapped back, undeniable curiosity in her voice.

"I presume you heard that loud sound of thunder a little while ago. Well, my mother has put all of Auradon under a sleeping curse and the only way to break it is to get Excalibur and destroy her sceptre." Mal explained.

"Oh really? And let me guess. You need my help to do it?" Uma asked.

"Well..yes. You and your crew." She answered.

"Give me one good reason why I should do that." Uma snapped.

"Because think about it. You were just used by Celia and her father in their scheme to take over Auradon. All my mother and Dr Facilier want, and care about, is to obtain more and more power for their personal advantage. They don't really care about the Isle and what happens to its people. They never did. But I know that you do. If you help us, Hailey is offering you a place in Auradon. You will have a _real_ chance to make a difference to the Isle. Uma, I know that deep down that is all you _really_ want. So please, let us put aside our personal feud once and for all. Aren't you tired of just being a pawn?" she asked.

Everyone looked nervously at Uma as she pondered Mal words carefully. "Okay fine. But I'm doing this for the kids that are still here, not for you." Uma replied firmly.

"Well, I wouldn't have expected you to do it for me anyway." Mal retorted extending her hand towards her. Uma shook it firmly after a little hesitation.

Mal took out the pendant given to her by her father and turned to face everyone. "Now brace yourselves. My mother will surely be expecting us." She held it firmly in her hands and they were all engulfed in a puff of blue smoke.

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

Mal and the others cautiously walked along the long corridors of Camelot's Castle, swords in hand. Surprisingly, no one had attacked them as they entered the front door, but they kept their guard high, expecting an assault at any time. There was an eerie silence surrounding them as they walked, carefully circling around the people they met along the way who had fallen victim of the curse.

As Mal looked around her, she could only marvel at the beauty of this castle, despite their current dangerous situation. On one side, the long stone corridors were lined with beautiful large mosaic windows while the other side held a series of grand knight armors, all glistening as the light from the windows reflected on them. They arrived in front of a large set of imposing doors, with the imprinted Camelot Coat of Arms.

"This must be it." Mal stated as she slowly opened the door. She could only gasp in awe at the magnificent sight before her. The arch shaped ceiling of the throne room was completely made up of gorgeous mosaics and just under it, in the Auradon colours of blue and yellow, was a large inscription in Latin which said "Et Defendi Regnum cuum Fortidudinem et Hororem", translating to "Defend the Kingdom with strength and honor". A black metal chandelier hang from the ceiling and just under it was Excalibur, safely resting inside its stone case.

Just as they entered the room, there was a puff of green smoke in front of them. Once it cleared, it revealed Celia, Audrey and Chad, sword in hand.

"I am afraid we can't let you take Excalibur, Mal!" Audrey smirked with an evil grin.

"Look around you Audrey, you are outnumbered. You are only three, against all of us." Mal replied with a confident smirk.

"I would look behind you, my dear Mal." Celia taunted as she pulled out her amulet, which started glowing with a green light.

Mal and the rest turned around towards the door and came face to face with a number of glowing green eyed knights ready to attack.

"Spread out. We need to get Excalibur at all costs." Mal called out as she turned to battle Audrey.

"Be careful." Ben told her, before heading in Celia's direction.

"Ain't I always?" Mal smiled back at him, before charging towards Audrey.

The sound of swords crashing resonated in the throne room as no one was able to get the upper hand. Mal was being cautious about using her magic. She had to be at full strength, just in case her mother decided to attack. And to make things worst, Audrey proved to be a tougher adversary to beat than she originally anticipated.

"You see Mal. You are not the _only_ one who can play the knight." Audrey taunted as she brought down her sword. However, before Mal could react, Audrey's sword was blocked by someone. Mal turned to face her savior, expecting him to be Ben but surprisingly found Harry.

"I'll hold her off. You get the sword." He yelled as his sword clashed with Audrey's pushing her back in the process.

Mal decided to use her magic to push back the knights guarding the glowing sword and stone. With her path finally clear, she reached out to take Excalibur out of the stone. Her heart beat loudly in her chest, and time seems to slow down, as she wondered whether the sword will consider her worthy enough. But to her relief, she was able to pull it out and quickly sheathed it in the scabbard at her hip.

The villains fell back momentarily as Audrey screamed in fury.

Not wasting time, Mal quickly turned to search for Ben and rushed over to embrace him, brushing past Harry on the way. Harry could only look in dismay, as he noticed the relief and love in Mal's eyes as she reaches Ben, laughing in delight as he spun her around in response. Something heavy settled in his heart as he watched them together, finally realizing that despite all the years he had been trying to get her attention, she had never looked at him in that way, not even for one second. _Harry get it through your head. I. Don't. Want. You._ was all he could hear in his head so at that moment he decided that is was time to let go of his desire towards Mal.

But the heroes celebration was suddenly cut short by the sudden darkening of the skies and a loud roar approaching the castle. Mal rushed to an open window but was not at all surprised by the sight that greeted her.

"Mother.."

 **Cliffhanger! The battle is _not_** **over! Time for Mal to go up against her Mother one last time. Will she be able to take her down? Find out next chapter. I know due to the new short Uma turning good is impossible but please keep in mind this plot was thought of BEFORE I knew about 'Under the Sea' so please don't get annoyed with me. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Review? Pretty please?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys. Here is the other half of the battle for you. As always a MASSIVE THANK YOU to my AMAZING Beta xez2003 for editing this so quickly YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! And of course THANK YOU to all of you for your reads, reviews follows and fav's! On to the chapter!**

 **DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DECENDANTS ALL RIGHTS GO TO DISNEY ANY DIOLOGE YOU RECONISE BELONGS TO DISNEY I OWN NOTHING!**

Hades sat in his throne deep in thought, as his daughter's last words kept playing and playing in his head. He had tried to talk to her, to explain what had happened all those years ago, but she wouldn't even stop to listen to him. _Can I blame her?_ He thought. _She is right. I had not wanted her back then. I had chosen instead to get back my powers and return to rule the underworld. But why am I still thinking about her then? Why do I feel a longing towards her when I see her being so affectionate towards Ben while she is so cold towards me? I don't need her. I have all I want just here. I am a **God** and Gods don't interfere with mortal's lives. So why can't I rid myself of this feeling in the pit of my stomach?_

As if trying to find an answer to his torment, he conjured a viewing orb to watch the ongoing battle, just as his daughter found herself face to face again with Maleficent...

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

Everyone followed Mal as she ran out of Camelot's Castle just as Maleficent touched down on the ground, returning to her human form, sceptre in hand.

Maleficent felt a deep rage bubble inside of her as she eyed Excalibur at Mal's side and lets out a frustrated scream, before turning to her daughter. "You ruin _everything_! But this time I will come out victorious! Do you _really_ think you can stop me? You are merely a _child_. You are not powerful enough to beat me!". Maleficent let out another scream but this time it turned into a roar as she was engulfed in a green puff of smoke revealing her dragon form. She took to the skies and starts breathing fire in the direction of her daughter. Ben grabbed Mal and dived out of the way, just as the fire was about to reach them. The rest of the group ran to take cover as Audrey, Celia and Chad, accompanied by the still enchanted Knights, charged towards them.

As she stood back up, Mal lifted her head to look up defiantly at her mother. She now knew her full family heritage. She was Hades' daughter, the daughter of a god. She could beat her. But more importantly, she had something to fight for, someone she loved to protect, something her mother would never understand. She turned to look at Ben, giving him Excalibur. "Ben, you must destroy Celia's amulet while I handle my mother. I am going to turn her back into a lizard, if it is the last thing I do. And this time it will be permanent. She must not have _any_ way to return."

Ben nodded. "Okay. I have faith in you and you will beat her. Just please be careful." He told her before gripping Excalibur and charging towards Celia.

Giving one last look at Ben's retreating form, Mal concentrated and let loose all of her magical power. Her eyes started glowing, letting her dragon form take over and she flew up to the skies to engage her mother.

Both dragons roared furiously as they clashed against each other, no one getting the upper hand. Maleficent used all of her experience in dragon form and threw fire ball after fire ball, being relentless in her attacks. And finally it happened. An opening in Mal's defences and she took the opportunity to throw a fire ball in the unprotected area, causing Mal to roar and plummet down to the ground.

" _Mal!"_ Ben screamed horrified.

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

 _ **"Mal!**_ " Hades shouted, as he stood up abruptly from his throne, having seen his daughter being hit. He felt his heart beating wildly in his chest, a million beats a minute as if is was about to explode. _What is happening to me?_ He thought. Suddenly, Mal's baby cries started echoing in his head, as they did that faithful day all those years ago as he left Maleficent's castle. He sat back down on his throne, holding his head in his hands, willing the cries and that unfamiliar feeling in his stomach to stop. And then Mal's baby cries where replaced by her stern words from their earlier conversation.

" _Maybe it would have mattered to me to discover your existence when I was still little and innocent."_

 _"I have grown up and accepted reality, that my father never loved me."_

 _"At least my mother wanted me."_

 _"I wouldn't even know that love existed if it wasn't for Ben."_

 _"At first we were both scared as we felt these strange and new unexplainable feelings."_

 _"Despite being scared, we found the courage to face them together."_

 _"We realized we loved each other."_

 _"LOVE!_ " Hades lifted his head up in sudden understanding, as if someone had just slapped him, as he felt the world around him suddenly halt abruptly and his breath locked painfully in his throat. _HE LOVED HIS DAUGHTER!_ How could he have been so blind." That feeling he had felt at seeing his infant daughter for the first time all those years ago was _LOVE._ If only he had found the courage to pick up her up in his arms that day and admit to others, but most importantly to himself, that he had loved his little girl the moment he had laid eyes on her. "Oh! What have I done?" he admitted in self pity as he hung his head in shame and brought it down to his hands.

He was pulled out of his misery by a sudden loud roar and he quickly gazed back up at the enraging battle still going on between Maleficent and his daughter.

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

Luckily for Mal, Maleficent's strong fireball had only just surprised her and she had managed to avoid the major brunt of the attack, leaving only a little mark on the top part of her right wing. She quickly recovered the meters lost and flew back up to engage her mother.

Once Ben reassured himself that Mal was fine, he returned his full attention to the opponent in front of him, Excalibur in hand. Celia proved to be a worthy opponent as she had managed to block every swing he took at her so far. But honestly he was somewhat holding back. Deep down, he could understand what had led Celia to help Maleficent. She just wanted to make her parent proud. A feeling, nearly every kid on the Isle dreamed about. But that did not matter now. He would not let Mal down, so with renewed energy he raised his sword and brought it down on her hard, knocking her backwards. He took the opportunity and quickly struck her knee, making her loose her balance and end on her back, her sword flying out of her hand in the process. He pinned her to the floor by pointing the tip of Excalibur mere inches from her face.

"Celia, I really don't want to hurt you. Please just give me that amulet. That is all I want." He pleaded.

Celia glared at Ben in contempt as she slowly handed him the amulet, having accepted her defeat. In one swift movement, Ben took it and placed it on the ground before using Excalibur to break the object in half. A blinding green light suddenly engulfed the area as the knights suddenly fell to ground, the magic controlling them destroyed. With only Audrey, Chad and Celia left, they were quickly surrounded and overpowered by the VK's and Hailey. Now that their battle was won, Ben looked up worriedly to watch Mal fight against Maleficent, powerless to help her. "Be careful, sweetheart. Please!" he whispered.

Maleficent could see from Mal's slowed movements that her daughter was now quickly tiring. All she had to do was catch her off guard. An idea formed in her head and she suddenly made a straight beeline for her daughter, a fireball ready to leave her mouth. Mal did not have enough time to react and move away and so she braced herself for the impact. However, she watched surprisingly as suddenly her mother flew on top of her instead of attacking. But before she could realise what her mother had in mind, a sudden and excruciating pain engulfed her back as Maleficent let loose her attack. Mal roared in pain as she lost control of her dragon form, turning back human as she plummeted down towards the ground in lightning speed.

Ben watched in horror as he saw the love of his life rapidly drop down from the skies and to her certain death. "MAALLLLLL!" he screamed as he ran in her direction in an effort to catch her before she hit the ground.

All seemed lost when suddenly Mal was covered in a bright blue light which slowed down her fall, allowing her to fall safely in Ben's arms. _"Mal!_ Are you okay? _Please answer_ me. _Open your eyes!_ " he shouted frantically, shaking her. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned confused eyes to look at him.

"What happened?" She asked.

Before Ben could answer her, a blue fireball unexpectedly hit Maleficent in the chest, knocking her out of the air and making her crash land on the ground, turning her back human in the process.

A voice thundered, "Don't you _dare_ touch my daughter!". All eyes turned to the owner of the voice as Hades snarled, his eyes glowing blue and holding another fireball in his hand, ready to strike.

 _"Dad?"_ Mal voiced shocked. What is he doing here? Realization dawned on her and struck her like a cold shower…not only had he saved her, but to do so, he had broken the conditions to keep his beloved powers, for _her._

Mal was brought back from her reverie, as Maleficent stood up, sceptre in hand ready to strike. Ben quickly put Mal down and they both hurried to join Hades' side. Ben held Excalibur in front of him as he eyed the sceptre determinately.

"Give up, mother. Look around you. You are outnumbered. Can't you see you have lost?" Mal quipped confidently.

But Maleficent didn't back down and instead fired up her sceptre with green magic, ready to strike the trio.

"Don't even think about it!" Ben snarled as he rapidly attacks Maleficent before she could attack them, Excalibur held high above his head. She lifted her sceptre to block the blow, only for Excalibur to glow brightly as soon as they made contact, breaking her sceptre in two. Maleficent could only watch in horror as a bright green light shone from the now broken sceptre and engulfed the entire area as the sleeping curse around the kingdom was broken and the people around them slowly started waking up.

"I might not have my sceptre anymore, but don't forget I am still a very powerful fairy. I will not be beaten so easily." Maleficent retorted as she conjured a green fireball.

Hades turned with a menacing snarl towards her but Mal put a hand on his arm stopping him.

She stepped forward to face her mother, her eyes starting to glow in response. "It is time we settle this, once and for all, Mother. Just you and me!"

Maleficent's eyes glowed back in response and they stared at each other in vivid concentration. All Mal could think about was the love she and Ben shared and the life she had managed to make for herself in Auradon and how she would let nothing get in the way of her happiness, after all she and Ben had been through. And just like in Hailey's coronation, Maleficent was covered in a dark purple smoke. But before she turned into a lizard and fell to the ground, she raised her hand to Mal's side shooting out a bright light and her voice was heard mocking. "I might have been beaten but I will have the last laugh!"

Hades picked up the now harmless Maleficent in lizard form by her tail and turned to face Mal. "Don't worry. I will make sure she won't escape this time. I have just the perfect place in mind where to keep her and a very happy 'dog' who is going to have a new playmate." Hades snickered in a mischievous grin.

Mal exhaled loudly as a huge burden was lifted off her shoulder and she spun to her side to embrace Ben. "Finally we wo-!" She stopped death in her tracks and all color drained from her face as she saw Ben bent over in obvious pain.

"Ben, what's wrong?" Mal asked worriedly as she took a step towards him.

"Mal! Stay away! Don't come close to me!" Ben managed to say as he looked up to reveal his eyes flashing a bright yellow. He screamed in pain, gripping his head before he suddenly grew in size as his beast form came through. He let out a loud piercing roar before charging towards the castle, tossing away anyone who came in his way. Loud crashing noises were heard from within the castle, followed by people's screams as everyone ran out, fearing for their lives.

"BENNNNNNNN!" Mal screamed as she starts to follow him inside, but was stopped by her father.

 _"Let me go!_ _What is wrong with him?!"_ she cried.

"Maleficent must have transformed him into his worst self." Hades replied as they helplessly watched as Ben continued to wreak havoc inside Camelot's castle. "He will have no memory of you. He is no more than an animal now."

"No. That is _not_ true. I _refuse_ to believe it. I'm his _soulmate._ Nothing could ever break us apart. He even managed to fight one of my mother's forbidden spells. Our connection is too strong." Mal said firmly as she broke free from her father and started to walk determinately towards the castle.

"Mal! He could _kill_ you!" the VKs try to reason with her but she ignored them.

Ben emerged from the front door and charged at the knights who had surrounded him, swords in hand. "Please. Don't hurt him!" Mal pleaded as one of the Camelot knights managed to slash him across his arm which had started bleeding. Mal ran towards them until she was just a few meters away.

"Ben!" she called raising her hands at the knights to stand down as he spun around to face her, growling lowly. "Ben! It's _me,_ Mal. I know you're in there."

He growled, snarling at her again, as he took a menacing step towards her but she didn't back down.

"Ben. Look at me. You remember what you said to me when I told you I wasn't sure if I could love you?" He tilted his head and stopped growling.

"You told me I was worth waiting for. And now I am saying the same thing to you. You're worth it Ben. _Please_ don't let my mother do this to us. Think about all we have been through. We have fought _so hard_ against everything and everyone and now we _finally_ have the chance to be happy. Whatever twisted mind set my mother put you in, I know that deep down you know me. Our bond in unbreakable. Benny, you have always known we were made for each other even if I didn't. _Please_ come back to me. I love you Ben. I always will." she whispered as she bridged the distance between them, pulling him down for a kiss. A gentle white glow engulfed him as her lips touched his and he turned back to himself, responding to her.

"Mal." he whispered lovingly as they broke up for air.

Mal smiled tearfully at him as she leaned her forehead on his.

"True Love's kiss. Works every time" Evie stated softly.

Ben and Mal's tender moment was suddenly broken by a flash of lightning and a booming voice which thundered loudly "HADES!" Everyone bowed in respect as Zeus appeared before them.

He turned to address the god of the underworld. "Hades. You knew exactly what would happen to you if you decided to leave the underworld for whatever reason. It was the one rule you could not break and so your punishment will be severe."

"Yes I did brother and I am ready to accept any sentence you deem fit. But first before we go, there is something I need to tell Mal." He said before turning to face his daughter.

"I am so sorry, Mal. You were right to call me weak and pathetic. I could have given you a better life, a life away from your mother, if only I had found the courage to admit to myself that I loved you from the first moment I had laid my eyes on you as a baby. But I was too afraid, too afraid to explore this new feeling that had invaded me and instead I chose to run away from it and lock myself back in the safe haven of the underworld where I thought I could get rid of it. It had to take me meeting you again and to see the way you and Ben care for each other, for me to finally realize what that strange feeling finally was - love. Unfortunately, I can't go back and change the past but believe me I would take it all back if I could and choose you over my powers. I can only hope that one day you might find it in your heart to forgive me."

Mal could only stare at her father dumbfoundly as her mind processed what he had just told her. She could feel her heart beat wildly in her chest. She thought back to her own doubts when she had first discovered that Ben loved her and how hard it had been for her to take the plunge and find the courage to admit that she loved him back. But she had not been alone to face it as Ben had never left her side. But her father had not been that lucky. He was born a villain, just like her, with no idea of what love was or what it really meant. Suddenly, Mal felt a warm feeling bubble inside of her as she felt her anger and resentment towards him slowly melt away.

Hades turned away, ready to follow Zeus but they were stopped by Mal.

"Zeus. _Wait!"_ Mal pleaded as she stepped towards them. _"Please_ don't punish him. He only left the underworld to come save _me._ I know that it went against your agreement and that you have your good reasons not to trust him. I also know he has done horrible things in the past but I have seen him now. He has changed. He has done nothing but help us defeat Maleficent. He deserves another chance. Isn't that what Auradon is all about? If Hailey hadn't given me a second chance, I would still be on the Isle living in misery and I wouldn't know what it really feels like to finally have a family. And now I have finally found my dad _, please_ don't take him away from me."

Zeus stopped to look at the girl in front of him as he pondered her request. His brother had a daughter, who would have thought. Could what she had just told him be true. He mused. The sincere look in her eyes seemed to say so. And his brother had not given him any reason to doubt him in the last sixteen years so why now all of a sudden. He sighed as he reached his decision.

"Okay, brother. I am willing to give you another chance. It seems you really have changed if there is someone willing to vouch for you. I will not punish you and I will let you return to the underworld as its ruler. But I will continue watching you closely. Do not disappoint me." Zeus stated before disappearing in a bright flash of lightning just as he had arrived.

Ben watched with a wide smile on his face as Mal turned to hug her father. Hades stared down at her for a few second, before returning the embrace, finally able to hold his baby girl in his arms after so long.

Mal pulled away from her father and turned to Ben, holding out her hand to him.

"Let's go home." She said brightly. It was really over for good this time.

 **That's it! Maleficent is gone forever! And Mal has forgiven Hades. Uma's fate will be found out next chapter. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Review? Pretty please?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi Guys. Here is chapter 9 for you. The final. THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH to each and every single one of you for your reads, reviews, follows and favs. Well I don't want to hold you guys up anymore. Take it away chapter 9! Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DESCENDANTS ALL RIGHTS GO TO DISNEY ANY DIOLOGE YOU RECONISE BELONGS TO DISNEY I OWN NOTHING! I also DO NOT own ANY songs used in these chapters all rights go to the RIGHTFUL OWNERS.**

The sun shone brightly on the grounds of Auradon Prep, as a light breeze caused the blue and gold banners which adorned the school walls to flutter gently in response. All was nearly ready as the school teachers took their seat on the main podium, which had been set up and decorated with matching colors. Excitement filled the air as the students, fully clad in their graduating gowns lined with the Auradon colors and matching caps, and their proud parents, took their seats in the school's large gardens.

As everyone quieted down, Fairy Godmother stood and took the main stand, ready to address her students. As she looked at the bright sunny skies and the large crowd in front of her, she could only think about how the events of last few days never seemed to have happened. Maleficent had been finally defeated once and for all but it had come at a terrible price. She sadly thought about the loss of her dear friends Ella and Kit but she also marveled at the strength that Hailey had shown through it all. As a true Queen she had stood tall and proud, regardless of her grief, and had overseen the punishment for all those involved with Maleficent's escape and the murder of her parents, which sadly included her own brother Chad and his girlfriend Audrey. And despite of it all, she claimed that her loss could not disrupt today's momentous occasion as she had insisted that her parents would not have wanted that to happen.

The villains involved, including Chad and Audrey, had been sentenced to be imprisoned in a special place on the Isle, the Underworld, under the watchful eye of its carer and his guardian beast. This was punishment enough, especially for Dr Facilier who was once again reacquainted with his 'friends' from the other side who weren't so happy to see him. The God of the Underworld had been rewarded for his help by being allowed by Zeus to leave the underworld on occasion, to be able to be part of his daughter's life. As Fairy Godmother spotted Hades in the far edge of the crowd, she was brought back to the task at hand and took the microphone to speak.

"Ladies and gentleman, I present the graduates of Auradon Prep, Class of 2018. I am personally very honored to introduce this year's Valedictorian. After getting off to a pretty rough start here at Auradon Prep, she graduates today a changed young woman. Through sheer perseverance and courage, she found the strength to face the challenges ahead of her and break away from her difficult and defining past. We would not be standing here today if it wasn't for her bravery and I am sure we are going to see great things from her in the bright future. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome, Mal."

The crowd erupted in loud cheers as she hugged Fairy Godmother before taking the stage, looking at her fellow student companions. Mal could only smile at her headmistress's words, as a whirlwind of emotions overwhelmed her and she started her speech.

"On my very first day at Auradon Prep, a very wise person taught me a very important lesson; to let go of the past as I could have missed the future ahead of me. In my time here in Auradon, I have come to learn that such lesson could not have been truer. I was lucky enough to have been given an opportunity and as I stand before you all today, I cannot help but think about how far we have all come. Through all the danger and sadness, we have stuck together and come through to face a bright future ahead of us. We must always have faith in the people around us but most importantly we must always have faith in ourselves. If being here has taught me anything, it is that every single one of us has the power to change his own life and future and that it is not our heritage that defines us and makes who we are, but it is our choices." She turned to smile at Hailey.

"It is with courage and a strong sense of self that we now move on to a new chapter in our lives, remembering the important people who make part of it. Our friends…" she grinned at Evie, Carlos and Jay. "Our parents…" she looked towards the back to find her father. "And our loves…" she stared into Ben's loving eyes for a moment. "They transform us sometimes in ways we don't expect. So my final words to you all are to treasure those close to you and always have hope. Congratulations Class of 2018, we made it." The room suddenly exploded in loud cheers as a multitude of caps were thrown in the air. Mal stepped away from the podium and joined her friends and Ben in a group embrace.

"I am so proud of you." Ben whispered in her ear, before lifting her up into the air and twirling her around, causing her to laugh in glee. As he put her down, they could only stare into each other's eyes lovingly. They leaned towards each other until their lips meet for a long loving kiss, as the world around them melted in the background….

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

Ben and Mal stood off to the side of the Royal Yacht and happily watched as their classmates danced the night away. The graduation party was in full swing, with the bright lights and loud music that could be seen and heard all the way to Auradon City. They had decided to take a break from the dancing to catch their breath and they were now resting on the railings, Mal leaning on Ben's shoulder. As Mal spotted the familiar faces of Uma and her crew, who had been invited to the party as a welcome gesture, she excused herself from Ben for a moment and approached her.

"Shr….Uma." Mal called her, correcting herself almost immediately. She had really meant want she had told her way back on the Isle...that it was finally time to let go of the past. So Mal had decided that it was up to her to do the first step and that required her to start addressing her with the proper respect and thank her for her precious help in retrieving Excalibur.

"Yes...princess." Uma retorted.

"Look Uma. I really meant what I said back at the Isle about burying our feud once and for all. I don't know the reason that made you help us but we would have never managed to retrieve Excalibur and defeat my mother without your help. So please accept my heartfelt gratitude." Mal replied sincerely.

Uma stared at Mal stunned, as she processed what she had just told her. Out of all the things, she never expected her to actually thank her for her help, especially after all the bad blood they had in the recent past.

"I was tired of being a pawn." Uma declared, after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

"What?" Mal questioned.

"You asked me what the reason that made me help you was. Well, what you said to me made me realize that Dr Facilier had manipulated me into doing his dirty work. He never once cared about the people of the Isle and their freedom, as he had originally told me. It was all a play for me to help him and I was stupid enough to believe him. Once Maleficent was back at her full power, she could have easily freed everyone on the Isle but instead she chose to focus her efforts on her revenge against you and Auradon. I was just used as a mere pawn and I was tired of it. After all this time, the people on the Isle finally need someone who will really look out for them." Uma replied passionately.

"Listen to me Uma. My mother is finally gone and the future is in our hands. It is time to finally put the past behind us. I agree with you. Let's find a way to help the people on the Isle get a second chance here in Auradon, just like the opportunity that was given to you and me. So what do you say? Let's make a difference together, friend." Mal stated, extending her hand in front of her.

Uma looked at Mal's outstretched hand in deep thought, pondering whether working with her instead of against her was the right way forward to secure a future for the Isle. Mal was really ready to put back their past behind her. _But am I as well?_ She wondered. Uma thought back to the time where they were actually friends as kids. She had let Mal nearly drown and then had gotten so jealous of her when she had been chosen to come over to Auradon, leaving her behind. But she also thought of the times before that when had been inseparable and truthfully, she missed those times, even if she would never openly admit it to her. If she only knew that despite their recent bad blood, Mal had had those same thoughts about her.

Finally having made up her mind, Uma looked back up to Mal and extended her hand to grip Mal's in a hearty handshake. "Okay, let's do this together, friend." She replied and they both smiled to each other sincerely. It was a new dawn for the Isle and the future couldn't appear to shine more brightly.

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

Ben looked at Mal and Uma's exchange in vivid interest, from his side spot on the railings. After what had happened with her mother, Mal had admitted to him that all she really wanted to do from now onwards was focus on continuing to build her new life here in Auradon. However, that meant really leaving her past behind her for good. They had talked about Uma and all that she had done to them, and that despite of it all, it was time for her to forgive her and to give her a chance, just like the opportunity that had been given to her.

As he watched Mal and Uma shake hands, he could only marvel at how much Mal had changed and grown since arriving in Auradon. But Ben also thought about himself and how these last three years had also really changed him. He thought back to his childhood on the Isle and how the trauma of loosing his mother at his father's hand had inevitably scarred him and had made him build that tough exterior as a means to protect himself. Meeting Mal had made him realize that not all people were like his father, and that had opened his safeguarded heart to the belief and hope that there was more to the world than the pain and suffering he had known all his young life. His time in Auradon had then further helped him to realize that openly showing empathy and kindness was not a sign of weakness but rather something to be proud of.

But none of it could have happened without his chance encounter with Mal. He loved her so much… her presence had blessed his life and he could not imagine living it without her. He felt that hand squeeze his heart as he remembered the events of the last few days and how he had come so close to losing her. But that was the past, he reminded himself, and all that mattered now was to focus on their future together and on keeping the promise he made to himself after he had saved her…that to never leave her side ever again. A smile appeared on his face, both satisfied and whimsical, as he made up his mind on what he wanted to do next. He was enveloped by a sense of nervousness as it dawned on him that given their age, his decision would make people think he was crazy. But as he looked at the girl he loved, he could only think about how Mal made him happier than he ever dreamt possible and that made his resolve only strengthen.

"A penny for your thoughts." A voice suddenly rang out, bringing Ben back to the present to face Mal who had returned to his side. "You must have been in deep thought to not notice that I had walked up back to you."

"You could say that." Ben answered with a mysterious smile. He held out a hand to her and as she joined him, he wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her close.

"So?" she insisted softly.

"Ask me again sometime." he teased before changing the subject. "It seems all went well with Uma. I can't tell you again how proud I am of you. I know how difficult it has been for you to forgive her for what she has done to us. I know because I have struggled with it too but that is what we must do if we really want to let go of our past and be free to live our future in peace."

Mal nodded in response as she snuggled further against his side and a comfortable silence enveloped them.

An idea suddenly popped up in Ben's head as he eyed the party still going on in front of them. "Do you want a drink?" he murmured in Mal's ear.

She nodded and watched as his arm slipped from her waist as he disappeared into the crowd. She sighed in contentment as she turned around to watch the calm sea around them and the Isle in the distance, waiting for him to return. She started to get lost in thought when she suddenly realized that there was a change in the party's atmosphere and that the lights and music had changed. Her eyes widen as she recognized the song being played.

As she turned around, she was met with Ben holding out his hand to her. "Can I have this dance sweetheart?" Mal nodded blushing but smiled as she stepped towards him. _What is he up to?_ She thought as she took his hand and followed him to the dance floor.

 _ **How does a moment last forever?**_  
 _ **How can a story never die?**_  
 _ **It is love we must hold onto**_  
 _ **Never easy, but we try**_

 _ **Sometimes our happiness is captured**_  
 _ **Somehow, our time and place stand still**_  
 _ **Love lives on inside our hearts and always will**_

"This doesn't look like getting us drinks, you know." She teased him softly as he spun her around.

He chuckled in response. "Yeah. Well. That may have just been an excuse so I could put in a song request."

"You're such a sap." She replied lovingly.

"Maybe but only with you." He admitted, continuing to chuckle.

 _ **Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone**_  
 _ **But when all else has been forgotten**_  
 _ **Still our song lives on**_

Mal felt herself get lost in his adoring gaze and tender embrace, as pleasant shivers ran down her spine as he continued to guide her across the dance floor.

 _ **Maybe some moments weren't so perfect**_  
 _ **Maybe some memories not so sweet**_  
 _ **But we have to know some bad times**_  
 _ **Or our lives are incomplete**_

 ** _Then when the shadows overtake us_**  
 ** _Just when we feel all hope is gone_**

As the words of the song hit her and the events of the last few days invaded her memory, Mal pulled Ben closer and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

 _ **We'll hear our song and know once more**_  
 _ **Our love lives on**_

Having sensed her change in mood, Ben removed his hand from her waist and gently lifted her head from his shoulder so that she could look at him in the eyes. "I love you. Nothing will ever tear us apart again. I promise." he told her reassuringly as his hand left her face to pull her once again close to him.

 _ **How does a moment last forever?**_  
 _ **How does our happiness endure?**_  
 _ **Through the darkest of our troubles**_  
 _ **Love is beauty, love is pure**_

 _ **Love pays no mind to desolation**_  
 _ **It flows like a river through the soul**_  
 _ **Protects, proceeds, and perseveres**_  
 _ **And makes us whole**_

 _ **Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone**_  
 _ **But when all else has been forgotten**_  
 _ **Still our song lives on**_

"I love you too." She smiled brightly at him and leaned up to kiss him deeply as the last line played.

 ** _How does a moment last forever?_**  
 ** _When our song lives on_**

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

The days following their graduation had been crammed with activities as the students were busy packing away their belongings and saying their goodbyes as everyone was getting ready to leave the school to attend the various colleges around Auradon. Mal had applied and been accepted in the Art College in Auradon City. She had spent the whole day taking care of the necessary paperwork and she was now exhausted and looking forward to spent a quiet and relaxing evening in Ben's company. As she entered the door to her dorm room, she half expected to find him there waiting for her, as they had originally planned that morning but all she found was a folded note on her bed, reading 'Your Presence Requested.' Curiosity gripped her as she opened it to reveal a message in Ben's handwriting.

 _Meet me at the lake tonight._

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

Mal arrived a while later near the lake to find their spot set up with a purple blanketed picnic and white candles which illuminated the night sky around them. "Ben." She gasped. "What is this all about?"

"I thought we should have a date. You know...celebrate becoming graduates." he smiled but Mal noted that he appeared slightly nervous as if he thought she wouldn't like it.

"I love it." She replied happily.

They sat down and ate, all the while talking about their upcoming projects. Ben had even brought chocolate covered strawberries. He picked one up with his fingers and casually held it up to her as a quirky grin turned up the corners of his mouth. Mal giggled at his offered gift before closing her mouth on the strawberry, letting him feed her.

But despite the light and relaxed mood, Mal could not shake off the feeling of the nervousness she noticed from Ben. "Ben, what's wrong?" she finally asked gently, unable to wait any longer.

"Nothing sweetheart-" Ben replied trying to sound convincing.

"Ben." She said firmly. She knew him better than anyone else and from the look he was giving her, something was definitely going on.

He sighed nervously. "Well. Actually there is something I want to talk to you about…."

"What is it?" she asked worriedly, concern seeping in her voice. "You know you can tell me anything."

Ben suddenly stood up and offered his hand to Mal to help her up. She took it and he gently pulled her up to her feet so that they faced each other.

"Mal. Are you happy with me? Do you love me?" Ben suddenly blurted out.

"Ben. Of course I am happy with you. I love you, you know that, Where is all this coming fr—". Mal was interrupted as Ben leaned down to meet his lips with hers in a fierce and passionate kiss. She felt goose bumps run all along her skin as her lips parted in response to accept the kiss, her eyes closing on their own accord.

She needed a minute to catch her breath as they pulled away and she leaned on him for support.

Ben gently took her hand in both of his own, as a small chuckle erupted from his mouth. "I have practiced this in my head a million times but I can't seem to find the proper words anymore."

She began to wonder what he meant when suddenly she watched him go down on one knee.

"Ben." she gasped when she saw him reach out into his pocket and pull out a small black box.

"Mal…..I know we are young and you might think I am crazy to ask you this but I love you with every fiber of my body and soul. You saved my life and I can never thank you enough for that. I didn't know what life was before I met you. After everything we have been through together, I want to be able to officially call you mine. I want to you to be the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see at night. You are my soul mate, my life, my light… I can't imagine my life without you. So Maleficent Bertha Fairy, would you make me the luckiest guy in the world and do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me sweetheart?" He opened the box to reveal a white gold band, flower shaped ring. It had an amethyst in the centre with diamonds decorating the flower shaped petals and sapphires round the band.

Mal's hand flew to her mouth in shock and she pulled her eyes away from the ring to look back at Ben's eyes so full of love towards her. Her breathing stopped as she processed what had just happened. She couldn't believe it. _I must be dreaming_ she thought. Ben loved her so much he wanted to spend every second of the rest of his life with her. Mal had never expected this, she never allowed herself to dream that Ben would one day kneel before her and ask her to marry him. Tears started streaming down her face at seeing the true emotions written on his face and a happy smile graced her face.

"Yes" she managed to whisper emotionally, barely able to talk.

"Yes?" Ben asked, leaping to his feet.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. A million times yes Benny!" she repeated a little louder as she tackled him and buried her face under the crock of his neck.

"I love you." he murmured emotionally, as he enfolded her in his arms tightly.

"I love you too." She sniffed, smiling tearfully as he pulled away and carefully slid the ring on her left hand.

"It's perfect" he breathed.

Mal gently kissed him lovingly in return. She never expected this to happen but she wasn't scared. Ben was the only person to ever make her feel completely protected and secure. He would never hurt her. She loved him with all her soul and she was really ready to begin their new life together.

 **\- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ALWAYS AND FOREVER ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-**

 _ **2 Years Later**_

Mal looked at herself in the large mirror. This was it. Today was the day she was going to marry Ben. Five years ago she was a ruthless and vengeful girl, destined to follow in her mother's footsteps. She had thought that all she ever wanted in life was to make her mother proud, by becoming the mean girl she always wanted her to be. Ben had been the only person who had seen through her act and helped her let go of her fears and made her realize that deep down she had always been a good person. He had saved her from herself and words could not describe how much she loved him for it. She smiled as she looked at her engagement ring. _I am going to become Ben's wife and spend the rest of my life with him._ she thought happily as she realized that now, that, was all she ever wanted.

"It's time." Evie smiled as she handed her the bouquet.

"Evie. Thank you so much for all you have done for me. This dress is beautiful. It is just like out of a fairy tale." Mal smiled as she felt tears starting to form in her eyes. Evie had really outdone herself as Mal's white dress included an elaborate motive of tiny amethysts sewn into the lace design.

"No need to thank me Mal. We have been through so much together. I am just so happy to be part of this wonderful day. Plus, what are maids of honor for?" Evie winked at her as she tried to lighten the mood. "Now let's go before they send out a search party for us." Just as they were about to leave the room, they heard an impatient voice call out to them.

"You know kiddo. It is okay for a woman to be fashionably late but if you don't hurry up, Ben is goi-." Hades stopped mid-sentence at the sight of his daughter as she opened the door of the room she had been getting ready in. He looked at his little girl in awe and pride, a hint of tears in his smiling eyes. "Sweetheart, look at you. You are beautiful." He said as she approached him.

"Thank you, Dad." Mal smiled with a shy grin.

"Ready?" he asked her gently as he stood beside her.

"Yeah I'm ready." she said softly as she took hold of his outstretched arm.

Evie, Hailey, Lonnie and Jane, in their green bridesmaid dresses, walked ahead of them as they left the room inside the little chapel Ben and Mal had chosen to get married in. They walked through a short corridor until they arrived in front of a set of closed doors. The doors opened and the music began to play as soon as they started walking down the aisle.

Mal let out a deep breath before she looked up to meet Ben's awed and loving gaze. He was standing in the front with the priest at his side. Doug, Jay, Daniel and Carlos stood on his other side in their tuxes. Mal could barely hold in a happy sigh as they arrived to the alter and Hades placed her hand in Ben's. Mal smiled as she gazed into his warm hazel eyes that held only love for her and promises for the future. She was finally home.

The wedding ceremony began and it was soon time for their vows.

"Ben. There are no real words that can truly describe how much I love you. You saved me from a fate I thought I was doomed to and loved me when no one else did and for that I can never thank you enough. When I hold your face in my hands or lean into your shoulder to feel you hold me, I know this is the place I am meant to be for all time. You are the person with whom I am meant to share my life. I take you to be my faithful husband, my best friend and my one true love. I promise to inspire and love you - in good times or bad. I will be with you forever to laugh together, cry together, to support you and encourage you – from this day forward in this world and the next." Mal said wholeheartedly.

Ben grabbed Mal's hands as he began to say his vows. "Mal, we have been through so much together. Back when we met on the Isle I never thought we would get to this point but I wouldn't change one single thing. You saved my life and became my guiding light. You reopened my heart to hope and reminded me that there was more to this world than the pain and suffering I had solely known. You helped me become the better man I am today and I can never thank you enough for it. You are the love of my life. You make me happier than I could ever imagine and feel more loved than I ever thought possible. Standing here today I promise to love you, honor you and respect you with my whole heart and to never leave you side until our time here on earth is done."

As the priest later pronounced them husband and wife, Ben's lips met Mal's in the kiss that signalled the start of the rest of their lives. Now they truly belonged to each other and no one would ever break them apart.

As Ben and Mal exited the chapel they were welcomed by a mountain of rice and confetti and cheers from their family and friends. Nothing could ruin their happy smiles as they walked down the short red carpet into the awaiting car.

Hailey had organized a reception for them at the castle. Mal and Ben stared in awe as they took in the decorated hall. The bright chandeliers illuminated the large room while several tables covered in silk table cloths had been set up. An orchestra was playing on the side of a dancefloor while in the centre stood a table with a three tier wedding cake.

As Ben and Mal finished their first dance, Mal felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned around to come face to face with her father.

"Can I have the honor of dancing with the bride?" Hades asked looking at both Ben and Mal. Mal looked at Ben before nodding with a smile to her father.

 _ **Gonna dance with my daughter**_  
 _ **Spin her around under the lights**_  
 _ **'Cause I'm just a father**_  
 _ **Making the most of this moment in time**_

 ** _Before she lets me go, I'll hold her close_**  
 ** _Caught in this race against time_**  
 ** _Right now all I want is to dance with my daughter tonight_**

Mal and her father swayed to the music. She smiled at him, as tears threatened to fall from her eyes, as she thought about all that she had been through. Despite all the hardships, she had managed to change her destiny and get her happily ever after with Ben. But she was also so grateful that in the midst of it all she had discovered that she finally had a parent who loved her. She truly had everything we ever wanted.

 ** _Right now all I want is to dance with my daughter_**  
 ** _Sent straight from heaven, came down and I caught her_**  
 ** _For now all I want is to dance with my daughter tonight_**  
 ** _Woah_**  
 ** _Dance with my daughter tonight_**

The party went on till the early hours of the morning until it was finally time to bid everyone good night. Hailey had prepared for them a room in the castle to stay in for the night as they were leaving for their honeymoon the following morning.

Mal started laughing in glee as Ben lifted her up in his arms as they entered the room as was tradition for any newlyweds. Hailey had prepared from them one of the rooms in the tallest part of the castle which overlooked all of Auradon.

As they held each other on the large balcony, looking at the sun as it was just rising over the horizon and dreaming about the bright future ahead of them, Mal found herself lost in thought looking into Ben's loving eyes knowing that no matter where they were, they would love each other, always and forever.

 **That's it its finished! I have to admit I had the proposal planned since about chapter 3 of 'I Will Love You' but THANK YOU to Harry Potter Fan 1994 for the idea of having the wedding to. I know the odds of getting a bal proposal in D3 are low as they are only 17 (I would SCREAM and DIE from happiness if that happened.) But if we cannot have bal engaged and married in D3. Then by Hades I WILL have a bal proposal and wedding in my trilogy! lol.**

 **Wow its a very strange feeling I have been working on this trilogy for so long it feels very strange to have it finished I'm tearing up. For the final time I must say a HUGE HUGE HUGE MASSIVE THANK YOU to every single one of you! It means more then I can honestly put into words that you guys have supported me throughout this trilogy THANK YOU. I really do write for you guys.**

 **If you guys like this trilogy then please do check out the prequel that will be posted.**

 **And to my AMAZING Beta xez2003: Oh where to start my friend? From the moment we started working together you have been ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Going beyond what I excepted with your ideas and the amount of time and effort you put into this story I CANNOT put into words how thankful I am! But this will have to do from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

 **I really hope you guys liked this chapter please give me one last review? Pretty please?**


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